Son of a Warg! - Book Two: Shadows of the Past
by CA Productions
Summary: Sequel to Son of a Warg! - 5000 years have passed on Middle-Earth and the humans took over every corner of it. Hyano did all she could but they are slowly forgetting the teachings of the past. At such times of frustration her own past wells up from the depths of darkness itself.
1. Every End has a New Beginning

Description: _Sequel to Son of a Warg - 5000 years have passed on Middle-Earth and the humans took over every corner of it. Hyano did all she could, but they are slowly forgetting the teachings of the past. At such times of frustration, her own past wells up from the depths of darkness itself._

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**Hello, and welcome to the first chapter to the sequel of Son of a Warg.**

**This is a continuation of the story, which will guide you to our own current times, where technology took over all aspects of our lives, making it not simple but complicated. Well, complicated for someone from Middle-Earth.**

**So, this idea of this part of the roleplay came to us when we began talking about the theory I am sure you also met already. That Tolkien in the end tied the history of Middle-Earth to our own. This means, that all that happened in his books was in our past, so people developed from those you saw/read about, where the world began to lose magic. **

**We decided to build on it.**

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**Cub: Mwahahahaha! In other words, folks! We're baaaaaaaaaaack! Mwahahahaha!**

**Ren: Why is she doing that?**

**Hyano: Oh, Halloween is coming up in America. **

**Ren: Halloween… Halloween… Wait isn't that the day where kids come around and give me their bags of candy?! *Takes off to go get ready.***

**Hyano: Wait. What?! No that isn't how it works, Ren! *Runs after him.***

**Avp: Oh, here we go again… Enjoy the show, folks.**

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_**Please note - You are going to notice modern words within Hyano's speech, but we decided to not remove them, due to this one taking place in our time anyway. They are no more out of place.**_

**Enjoy.**

_CA Productions_

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**Disclaimer:** We don't own LotR, but we own the plot of this story, and all that was created outside what Tolkien included in his books. Cublove owns Hyano, the Orange Wizard, Avpke owns Ren the Nazgul. All OCs and custom races appearing in this story are our creations. Please don't steal anything.

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Chapter 1 - Every End has a New Beginning

Mother Nature did everything in her power to maintain Middle-Earth on her own for the next thousands of years.

She managed to survive and help the human species evolve further. They discovered new lands, took over the world that they know, built and invented new items, artifacts and modern machines. Their intelligence knew no bounds as their civilization bloomed without disturbances. Their numbers were so great in the end, however, that they started to take matters into their own hands.

To maintain their numbers, they started to betray nature and shaped the world to their own needs. Forests were destroyed, swamps were dried, houses were built where they shouldn't be, and they pressed many other species to extinction, making their world less colorful.

No matter how Mother Nature tried, she couldn't push them back.

They learned to counter the diseases that she tried to plague them with and even cheated death all too many times. Mother Nature simply keeps losing the fight. The humans got all too powerful and continued shaping their world.

And with their constant changing, they also destroyed many memories and monuments of the old days, the long lost past when many honorable warriors rode to battle against an ancient evil, when Middle-Earth could barely be saved, when a single artifact could decide the fate of Men. When a far greater darkness than disease spread on the lands. When elves walked the land along with talking trees, when wraiths looked for prey in the moonless nights and when old istari sat in the forests, smoking from their long and slim pipes.

All this was nothing more but fairy tale.

Changed many times through the years, taken away from it and added to it, they shaped even these stories to their own liking. And slowly but surely, they developed into simple legends, stories the parents tell to their children to help them fall asleep.

The happenings of old became lost.

Forever.

At some places these legends lived more prominent than at others. Some towns still had that little magical feeling to them, especially when there are proofs hidden and found through the ages.

One such town was Nomina, which -unknown to the people- laid on the remains of Mordor.

The town sat upon an excavation site, where long lost objects, statues, weapons, books and buildings are re-discovered day by day. Some of them seemed coming right from tales... Buried under the town were many treasures, which are slowly brought back to the surface for everyone to see. Here, with these strange items found, the legends of old lived far more intensely. The people were more open-minded for changes and new ideas. It was a rather happy little town, almost purely keeping itself up by the excavations, the items they find and the tourism that it attracts. The houses were also more shaped like those they found under the earth, making it a completely different little world on its own.

In this town was a smaller tower in its very center. Though, not as tall as it used to be before its destruction but it was a monument of the past, still occupied by a single owner for many thousand years.

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Hyano stepped out of her home.

An old building, almost tower-like if it had been taller.

She used a large old key to lock the large wooden door, before putting it around her neck, then put her hand on the doorknob one last time, using a spell no one could see to lock the home in another way. Her own personal security system if you will. Adults could not enter, however she allowed children to go right ahead. She did live in a 'haunted' house after all. She giggled at the very thought as she stepped off of her porch.

As the times changed, she in person did not, but her choice in clothing did. While old wizard robes were quite comfortable, even in this town they would have made her stick out like a scratch on a record. She had now replaced the orange robe and cap with an orange sleeveless hoodie which had pockets full of various little items. Some magical, some just odd but useful. She also wore a long sleeved brown shirt, black jeans and a simple pair of sandals. The hippie age had been wonderful for this invention among other things.

She walked off her lawn and down the street.

This was her town.

Ever since Gandalf left she took her time to perfect the spell she planned on using to make sure that the mistakes of the past cannot be repeated. She used every ounce of her magic to morph an illusion and caused Mordor to vanish from the sight of Man. This enabled the world to recover, to rebuild, and only after the magic shifted to the worst did she release her hold on it, making it reappear and letting this very first town to build on the remains of evil. While she keeps a good eye on the people here, this doesn't mean she also spent the last thousands of years in this town.

While the orange wizard traveled quite a bit, leaving her house unoccupied for sometimes years at a time, she would always come back to this place. It was the closest thing she had to her old world. Her old life. Besides, the people here were just far too funny.

She smiled as a child ran past, looking at the woman who still sported flowers in her hair with awe for a moment before continuing to run. Any adult would assume they were fake or dead but children had more open eyes, probably this is why she liked them so much. She smiled to herself as she reached into her pocket with a gloved hand and pulled out a ticket.

The new museum would be opening up today.

Well it wasn't exactly a new museum; however one of the ways they attracted visitors was by closing it down for a little, then reopening it when they found something new. Considering what they tended to find in this town, she made a point of going to every new opening, especially now when they began shipping in finds from other museums and excavation sites. Who knows what they could find in this town and if they ever found anything dangerous somewhere else... Well it wouldn't be there long that was for sure.

The still young-looking woman pocketed the ticket again before going to the local food market. She got herself something to eat for the day, thinking she would probably be in the museum for a while. She ignored most everyone, only giving out smiles but never really talking to anyone unless it was needed. She was the odd one in an odd town, it left her rather lonely sometimes but she had gotten used to it.

She then made her way to the museum. While most would drive a car, Hyano had found no need for the gas guzzling thing at the moment. While she had one herself, she used it very rarely on long trips. Otherwise anywhere she wanted to go she walked. With how many crashes happened in this small town alone, she thought she was better off.

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Seems like she wasn't the only one who wanted to see what the archaeologists found.

The museum wasn't yet open but a nice large crowd was already waiting by its doors. The museum itself looked fairly new, while the building itself was as old as the town itself. Simply the owners and experts kept it at a good shape, making sure it looked welcoming from the inside and outside. It was mostly white in color with golden markings swirling around at the edges of the building and all around the large stone pillars. There were nicely carved shapes clearly visible around the whole museum. Not too much but enough to make it look appealing and also to stand out in this small town. It was clear that this museum held much value and was one of the only sources of income for this town; so much money was put into it to make sure it looked this way every year and every day.

It also didn't lack security either.

Because of the valuable finds inside, there were security guards left and right, guarding outside with Doberman and German shepherd dogs, while in the inside there were cameras filming the displays and each section, recording it all the time, there would be no corner where one wouldn't stumble upon a security employee.

Only after ten more minutes, exactly on time did they open the large double-door of the museum, letting the crowd arrive at the lounge where they can relax a little, buy mineral water and turn in their tickets to proceed to the truly important part of the building.

The exhibition itself.

For everyone these were new, unknown and so old, ancient, invaluable for the museum to possess such artifacts. At this part of the world, there were many nearly unreadable books displayed, along with various armors, including elven, rohirrin and gondorian, strangely even orcish armors were quite frequently found but only a few were in the right shape to be displayed. The archaeologists were for example very much baffled to find huge helmets, which -unknown to them- were used by trolls, along with enormous maces. There were jewels plenty and statues lined the display cases. It was clear from the exhibition itself that this area must have been the border if not inside Mordor, judging from the orcish items, spears, swords, shields and the statues of Sauron himself, the armor of the men and elves stayed back from the many wars they fought on these dark lands.

However there were luckily no palantirs or magical items found... yet.

Hyano stepped in and turned in her ticket, not bothering with buying anything. If there was anything she wanted, it would not be in the gift shop. She walked around slowly, with her hands in her pockets. Every now and again she would pull out a berry or nut and pop it in her mouth. She let her eyes wander the artifacts, smiling as she saw the various weapons. Great warriors had used these at one point, until Mordor had gone from a stronghold to a prison that is. She looked around for a moment, before coming to the statues.

Well, these were new.

She knew Sauron and his men were full of themselves but she hadn't thought they were the kind to have statues of themselves made. She walked among the statues quietly. Lucky for her, everyone else seemed more interested in the weaponry than the more artistic parts of the museum, so this left her mostly alone.

The wizard walked with her hands in her pockets, naming off each statue in her head by what she knew from back then. She may be old but her memory was still fresh. She however stopped as she came to a statue she did not know. No matter how hard she tried she could not recall anything having to do with this one. This had never happened to her before. She knew every text back to front but for the life of her she had no idea who or what this statue was supposed to be.

The statue seemed to be of a man or woman, who was clad in long robes, only the hands and legs peeked out.

Nothing more.

He or she was kneeling and leaned slightly to the side as if exhausted and weakly supporting its bodyweight against something but just barely. It was clear in its features that it spoke of will, determination in wanting to keep moving as there was a sign of a movement that would have sent the person forward again, before the gruesome fate met it. But it also clearly represented desperation and fatigue in the way it held itself, almost collapsing. Strangely enough, unlike the other statues, it did not have any pedestal or remains of the material it was made of. It seemed alive, yet dead at the same time. There was also another difference it had from the others.

It seemed... almost inviting.

As if drawing the person who stood before it closer, almost begging, alluring and whispering words within their head. Calm, almost melodic, relaxing, and all so sweet. However, unknown to Hyano the closer she went, the more it will not let her go from its spell and slowly but surely her magic started to flow into the statue, making the whispers louder and more clear...

The words were of no light... but were in Black Speech.

At this time the security employees noticed how the screens started to flicker, as if the cameras were struggling to keep up the pictures.

Hyano felt it.

She heard it.

Words she knew but for the life of her she couldn't place.

Her green eyes stared into the empty hood of the creature, looking for a face that wasn't there. She didn't even notice as she stepped over the ropes that were supposed to keep anyone from actually touching the museum works. She stepped up to him, her... it. She had no idea. The istar kept hearing words in her head. Calls. A voice that was so... so familiar. Finally, a word came into her head...

No, a name.

"Ren?..." She whispered right before her hand met his stone one.

As soon as she said the name, the statue seemed to respond. But not the nice way as one would...

But in a rather aggressive manner.

Like a parasite the blood of its host, so did it start to suck away her magic, the flow itself visible by small sparks as it surged from her entire body to the statue. The whispers stopped at that moment as well, and were replaced by a gruesome shriek that lasted as long as the exchange of magic, echoing in her mind.

At the same time the cameras stopped working, the lights went out in the entire museum, sometimes flickering back only to go off in the next moment.

Hyano gasped, her body feeling stiff. She had noticed over the years as the magic grew less, her body grew heavier, the lack of magic causing her body to be pained and to groan as if it was getting older yet not showing it. She gritted her teeth, the feeling hitting her like a ton of bricks, while her ears felt like they might explode from the shriek in her ears.

Getting away from its firm grip wasn't an option for Hyano. The magic itself bound them together at that time, like chains, not letting her move anywhere until its thirst was satisfied.

It seemed to last hours but only after a minute the hold on the wizard was gone, letting her get away. At the same moment the stone statue collapsed, almost exploding, sending pieces of it flying everywhere, while a shadowy figure appeared where the statue stood only for a moment, then fell backwards, down from the pedestal with an almost tired sounding hiss.

Then... everything went silent.

There were some shouts coming from the other guests and the calming words of the security. The cameras however didn't work still and the whole museum would have gone into panic, was it not for the well-trained guards.

When her connection to the statue finally broke, the young-looking woman fell back on the ground, panting.

"What... in Valar's name just happened?" She said to herself as she pushed herself up. In all her years, nothing like that had ever happened to her and she had not read any stories or texts that told of such a thing. She looked around. The museum was dark except for the occasional flicker of light here and there. It made it so the dark creature was almost missed, considering he blended rather well. Her eyes widened when she did see him, though.

The statue now turned... living?

She wasn't even sure if that is what one could call whatever this thing was. He was not a normal creature, even by darkness's standards. She pushed herself to her feet, her body feeling so heavy thanks to the sap in magical energy. A day or two and she would be back to normal. Hopefully. She slowly stepped up to him, before kneeling in front of him.

It was almost like a reflection of the day they met. Only many years had passed since then.

"What are you?" She asked the thing.

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The whole ordeal wasn't only stressing for her but the one who actually caused it was shocked just the same way, the pain of having light magic being converted within his dark body wasn't the most comfortable feeling in this world. He felt the pain yet again for the first time in many years and felt his spectral body shiver, making him exhale with a hiss.

His silver armored hands soon moved, gripping the air as he gathered strength and finally was able to register more of this world. He didn't know where he was and what he was doing here. This was his first thought.

The last thing he knew was that he was desperately trying to crawl away from his prison, having managed to finally loosen the chains enough to get away from there. He remembered himself losing much energy over the years he spent chained up. First, he struggled each moment he could, pulling, jerking the metallic binds but it was to no avail. Each long year that went by, he never gave up trying but did notice his strength waning and the lack of recovering of his power made him even more desperate. Every day he was shrieking madly there in his chains, mostly calling for his mate, asking for her help, calling her to his aid as he expected her to come for him.

But she never came.

He never gave up hope however and even when he was crawling along the wastelands of Mordor, his first and last thought was to go search for her then restart their plans once more... to conquer the world in his master's name.

Then...

He didn't know what happened. His mind must have shut itself down from the lack of energy... only to find himself here...

But... where is 'here'?

The wraith stopped his hissing and tried to get his bearings, pulling both of his arms under his body and started to raise his chest from the floor, ending up -after much struggle and almost collapsing once- finally sitting, almost relieved to have taken up this more profitable position. The aftermath of the magical surge still hurt him, making him flex his arms and legs sometimes in pain but this wasn't anything compared to what he saw.

His mate.

He watched her for a few seconds, not saying anything, not moving but trying to realize if his mind is playing tricks on him or if what he saw was real. She did smell the same way... he remembered her face as well and the aroma of her soul. This must be her then. So, she did come for him after all! However her question was rather confusing. What does she mean by it? He could barely remember the language of men, as they mostly talked in Black Speech but he could piece the question together from his past knowledge. The problem was the confusion.

"Hyano?" He asked, tilting his head to the side sharply, watching her as much as she watched him, and not understanding why she asked.

Said wizard blinked as the creature spoke. A male voice for the most part. That answered one question. Now, how in the Void did he know her name? She didn't get the chance to ask, though, as she heard people starting to move. She cursed under her breath. There was no way she could just leave him here but getting him out of here was a problem, especially seeing how weak he was. She quickly stepped up to him. She no longer had the magical force to stop time even for just a moment but she did have enough to fool man's eyes.

"Need to leave. Now." She told him and touched his robe. The moment she did, she created an illusion. He could not walk out of here as he was but using an illusion spell to make him look like a human, even if it would only work for a few minutes, could do the task just fine.

Ren wasn't less confused than she was.

Still lacking the skill to read emotions was making his work even more difficult and couldn't tell if she was just playing with him or she truly forgot him somehow. He didn't even know how much time he spent locked away from her, so couldn't tell if it was caused by that or something else. He watched as she moved away from him slightly and felt the magic curse around him, making him wince. He always hated when she casted light magic. Why can't she cast dark magic as she used to?

"No! Not this! Dark magic!" He spoke a little annoyed in Black Speech before trying to crawl away from the offending effects, feeling as it tried to penetrate his skin and damage him further. His weakened state didn't help his cause much, making his progress slower than hoped. He finally bumped into the wall and hissed as best as he could, as if wanting to scare away some enemy. But this enemy was invisible. He didn't answer her question, mostly because he was occupied with trying to relieve his pain and simply because she spoke too fast for his taste and he simply didn't understand her.

Hyano yelped as he jumped back from her, then heard him yell at her and the words rang in her head.

"Black magic? What?" She shook her head, finding it all too strange how she could understand a language she never heard of before... "No time to discuss! Run!" She told him. How did she know him? That voice... How did she know it so well? "Trust me!" She pleaded him quickly, getting in front of him. She couldn't debate over this right now because security was on its way and if they didn't move quickly they were going to have a lot to explain to a lot of people, who would never understand, no matter how many hoops she jumped through.

Trusting her was not the problem. She was his mate. Why in the Dark Lord would she harm him anyway? But how could she cast light magic at him when she knows he can't take it? She must have forgotten that as well... But how could she? What calmed Ren slightly was the fact that at least she still understood Black Speech, just made him wonder why she didn't talk back to him the same way. Flexing his muscles, he stood once more and decided to somehow follow after her, even if he didn't know who they are running from or why they needed to hurry. His shocked and still confused mind didn't yet register his current location or that he wasn't exactly in the empty and abandoned Mordor where he was before his mind shut down.

Hyano reached out and took his metal-covered hand in her own.

"Don't let go." She instructed him before taking off. She had to keep the illusion up and tried to keep it around Ren so it wouldn't affect him but was still enough to keep the eyes of the humans around them from seeing just what was running out the door. She gripped his gauntlet, not wanting to lose him in the crowds of people or on the street.

The grip she had on him felt so... so familiar. It was in a way nice. How? She didn't like not knowing why she knew this man.

His legs felt so wobbly, so weak and could barely feel them. The wraith needed to recover if he truly wanted to move about again. He didn't know what she did but the light magic still irritated him and could barely follow her. Even now he had trouble to see where he was. Finally, he actually started to look around, finding interest in the blurry images. It was too colorful for his simple senses but his curiosity made him look anyway. It was strange and made him forget about all the pain and his fatigue. His sight wasn't the best yet so couldn't make out any farther objects; however he could sense one thing.

He didn't know where they were.

It most certainly wasn't the wastelands of Mordor. It is some kind of building. From the size of it, he could say they might be in a fortress. But he wasn't sure. He slowed their escape somewhat by looking around and pulling her back slightly but otherwise he let them advance towards the exit.

Hyano was almost home free but sadly the security guards were not going to make it that easy.

"I am deeply sorry ma'am but until we are sure the building is secure, no one may come or go from here." A rather large bulky man wearing the shirt of the museum's security and the badge said as he stepped in front of the two.

The wizard cursed under her breath, thinking quickly before giving the guard a calm smile.

"I understand. Thank you." She said kindly and stepped back, pushing Ren back before pulling him in a different direction. She walked until she came up to a door marked as 'Employees only' and walked into it. She dropped the spell she had been using on Ren and leaned back against the wall panting. Even using that much magic had been hard on the wizard. At least here she could get a quick break and make up some kind of plan.

The Nazgul was never so relieved of a failed attempt like now. As soon as they stopped in a dark room, he leaned against the wall and slowly slid down along it, heaving a sigh. All he could do was staring at the floor, gathering as much energy as he could. After a few minutes the wraith finally raised his gaze to meet her thoughtful face. The way she moved and held herself, he could tell she was almost as fatigued as him. But she wasn't held prisoner anywhere for countless years, was she? She surely possessed more power than that. Thinking back to what happened, he couldn't help but ask her something.

"Who was that? Why didn't you just kill him?" He inquired, tilting his head to the side, staring up at her with curiosity despite their current state. He taught her well while they spent their time in Moria to build up an army and trained her to kill, defying her istar nature. "Where are we?" He finally asked after a short pause, averting his gaze from her and looking from left to right, not at all recognizing this place.

Hyano closed her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts, then shifted her gaze to look at him.

"That was the security for this building and if I killed him they would have been all over us. Besides, I don't kill." She told him bluntly, then raised a brow at his question. "You are in a land that was once a part of Mordor. It is a village called Nomina." She replied to his second question, then sighed, rubbing her temples, feeling her mind was still racing.

Ren lost interest quite quickly when she talked. He felt slightly annoyed that she yet again didn't talk in Black Speech but babbled in the tongue of men, which he mostly forgot about and simply didn't understand it if she talked this fast. Averting his attention, he finally took the time to look around more closely. The place looked like it was made of one single stone... There was no separation for another block... Just... how did the people find such a big one? Or is it a cave-like room? Maybe. He reached out with a slightly shaking hand and poked the rather colorful wall, watching as his 'claw' on the tip of his finger left a tiny hole, indicating it had more layers. He pulled the hand back and tilted his head to the side, looking at her again once she answered his other question. That much he understood that they are apparently still in Mordor... and that she talked about a village.

But... he couldn't remember a village being built in Mordor. All they had were strongholds.

Did the humans start building their filthy settlements into this great land as well?

"The pests!" He spat in black speech, feeling anger well up within him. How dare this human scum disgrace the great land of the Dark Lord, Sauron? How dare they claim it as their own! This land isn't theirs! It never was and never will be!

Hyano noted that he didn't seem to understand much of what she was saying. She knew enough to know he was not speaking the tongue of man himself... It was... familiar, though. She understood him rather well but she wasn't sure why. A question still stuck out in her head, though.

"How do I know you?" She asked him finally, calming down enough to focus on this one question.

The Nazgul stopped every thought when she asked her own question after a while. This made him tilt his head to the side and watch her for a few seconds before addressing her.

"What do you mean?" He asked right back, sitting down and turning towards her with a single move.

The young-looking wizard sat in front of him when he asked what she meant by her question and stopped to think of how she should reply. Should she try and speak like him? She understood him well enough so... So she should be able to speak his language. Logic made sense but then again nothing in this situation made a lick of sense at all, so logic might need to be thrown out the window. She searched her memory, trying to think of the right words to use then sighed giving up. She would have to figure it out later.

"I know your name... but I have no idea who you are... but... I feel like I've met you before." She told him her confusion evident in her eyes.

All Ren could do was staring at her. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking as he didn't have a face. But not like it was hard to guess. He didn't feel emotions. At least not all of them. What he most felt was confusion and simply tilted his head to the other side, watching her all the while, not exactly knowing what to think of the situation.

"Of course you met me before!" He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, feeling also slightly offended that she would ask this. What did she mean by not knowing him? She was his mate for Lord's sake. How can one forget someone so important? He is her Lord! Her mate! One doesn't just go and forget it, no matter how much time they spent separated. This made him ask in himself how long was he imprisoned. How much time passed? Was it so extremely long that she truly forgot? But istari never forget! "You forgot me?" he asked, leaning a little closer, this time his tone clearly showed his anger and how offended he felt by her lack of memory of him.

Hyano heard his tone, his words and she started to feel bad. The way he spoke meant that he had been important, right? But if he had been, why wouldn't she remember him? She looked down, then did the only thing she could do. She nodded.

"I must have... Because I don't know who you are." She told him honestly as she looked back up at him. Her green eyes searched his hood. She was looking for anything. Any spark of memory but all she got was a feeling like she knew him but no real memories to work off of. However, she was starting to find that the more she tried the more her head started to hurt. She cringed and held her head, looking away from him. Why was her head pounding so hard now? She didn't usually get headaches. Istari rarely got sick period, so this was a little new to her despite her rather old age.

She forgot him indeed. And she said the truth as well. This wasn't a prank like Ren thought it would be, hence why he was very careful to assume but this was very much real. His mate forgot him... He didn't think that was possible to happen. Even if they were separated, their thoughts should have been of the same thing and should have tried every day to reach each other and continue their plotting against the world.

Did she even try to get to him? Or did she give up? She simply gave up and simply forgot about him?

Now this was angering and felt not only offended but devastated by disrespect. Her loyalty... all of what he worked for, for long years he even degraded himself to a mere friend to a living... Just to change her... All that is gone? Simply so? Was it truly so easy? His disbelief made him ignore her further, not noticing her pain at all.

"How many years passed since the War of the Ring?" He asked, this being the only way to determine how much time they spent separated, which might explain everything.

Hyano shook her head. As she stopped trying to remember him, the headache softened if only slightly. She thought a moment on his question, then looked back to him.

"A little over five thousand years, I believe. You have been in stone for quite some time now I would guess." She told him. He seemed annoyed. She probably would be too. Were they good friends maybe? She still didn't fully understand what was going on. She decided not to think on it for the moment, it only caused her too much pain. One step at a time. She would ask him some questions later when she got him home, seeing they couldn't exactly stay here. Who knows when the lights and cameras would come back on?

Five thousand years? This meant... two Ages... or... one and a half... It depends how many years were in one. But still... Ren didn't think so many years could make them forget each other. He for one never did, even if he was 'asleep' for a while. Because he never gave up on trying to be reunited with her and always hoped she will come to him and free him from his prison. But she never came... Now he knew what happened. She didn't even try but gave up on him rather fast and simply carried on with her life. The honor of being the mate of a Nazgul didn't matter to her as it seems and simply forgot about him this way. He somehow felt pathetic for waiting for her rescue... Is this how it feels like when one finally realizes they made a mistake? Suddenly he felt like wanting to go violent... He wanted to kill her instinctively. Every time the mate of a Nazgul becomes useless or there was a trace of treachery, they are killed without a second thought. This was etched into their mind, so was it etched into his. He wanted to be rid of her so she doesn't become a threat to his person and his plans. She still must know everything else and simply this is a lesson taught by their kind. Work hard to please the wraith or kill yourself right away. Or die a horrible death by their blade. Subconsciously his spectral body searched for his weapon, not reaching for it with his hands so she doesn't get the idea of what he was planning, simply feeling the belt that held the blade under his cloak with his senses. However, there was one tiny little problem now... If he kills her now... Then how will he get out of here? He felt his weakness and lack of energy, so he won't stand a chance to fight anyone here on his own... He could maybe use her to get him out... then when he gains his strength back... he will end her life like he was supposed to... Seems like he will have to try and go on with his plans alone...

This kind of felt familiar from the time when they first met. When he was contemplating to kill her to not be a danger to his being while he recovered, but ended up sparing her life just so he can use her later. This time, however, there was a difference. He will not show mercy and will not need her.

Hyano looked at him, then sighed and stood up. Things should have calmed down a little by now, enough to allow them to get out the back at least. She held a hand out to him.

"Follow me. You can rest at my place until we figure this out." She told him calmly. She would bombard him with questions later, ask him the 'whos', 'whats' and the 'whens'. But for now they didn't have the time. She pointed in the direction they needed to go, assuming that was easier than hoping he could understand everything she says. It seemed he was having trouble with that while she seemed to be able to understand him perfectly. That was a little strange. However, again, logic has been thrown out the window by this point.

The Nazgul hesitated for a moment, not knowing if he should trust her in these circumstances or if he should just lay low here and hide, try to survive. It surely won't take him long to get back to his full power and try another attack on mankind. However, he was simply too uncertain about this place. Anything could have happened in these 5000 years... He didn't know the world as it was and didn't know what state it was in, how many new kingdoms must have been created and others died out... Where should he also begin with the take-over? He will need information about all this. And the only one who can provide it to him, was Hyano. It felt all too familiar. He had to play the 'nice' Nazgul once. He can do that another time... So, after making up his mind, Ren stood up with the help of the wall, digging the 'claws' of his gauntlets into it and started after her, following her wherever she went. So, she has a place to stay at? Nice. He wondered if it was the same tree house she made after the shack burned down...

Hyano led him through the building, making sure to keep quiet until they finally were able to get out the backdoor. Lucky for Ren, the day was cloudy.

It was a leftover effect of this once being the lands of Mordor. It may not be horribly dark like it once had been but this area did have a habit of having a lot of rainfall and cloud coverage.

The wizard looked around, making sure they were in the clear, before waving for him to follow her. Those that did see them gave the odd man strange looks of course but the majority of the town was at the museum still so they didn't earn too much attention. Thankfully.

While they were moving, the Nazgul's curiosity didn't deplete, despite his lack of energy and the daylight outside. When the door was opened and they stepped outside into the village, he stopped in his tracks right then and there because of color-overdose. Even if the village was simple, the colors themselves were far more vibrant than to what he was used to. After the initial shock, he moved once more and followed tightly behind his guide, sometimes almost tripping and falling because of his low energy and simply because he wasn't truly paying attention where he was stepping. Mostly his gaze was glued to the village's buildings, which were far different to what he was used to and the whole setting was unusual. Items and equipment, strange clothing, small animals... These were all rather interesting to the wraith.

Eventually -either to his relief or disappointment- they arrived at the wizard's home.

It was not the house made of trees like he remembered. It looked more like a tower or what had once been a tower. She pulled out her key and undid the spell she put on the home, before opening it up and stepping to the side so he could walk in first.

The inside showed the centuries of change that Hyano had been through. Different items from different time periods decorated the walls.

This was the second time Ren stopped in his tracks and started to take in whatever was all stashed into her home. It was indeed not the tree house he knew but it did hold resemblance to the buildings of Middle-Earth. Items he recognized and didn't see yet before were scattered around, attracting his attention one by one. He couldn't help but go closer and inspect them. He already chose his favorites. Once he gains back more strength, he will start taking some for himself. As usual.

Because now... from this moment on... this place was his territory.

Hyano shut the door behind him and locked it. She let her senses open, checking for any children who might have snuck in today. Seems like they were in the clear for now, then looked around, debating on her first move for a moment before making up her mind.

"Now that we are safe, I guess it is okay to start asking questions." She said mostly to herself, then walked up to him, looking straight up into his hood. "Who are you to me?" She asked him bluntly. She really wanted to know. Because for the life of her she couldn't figure it out, yet she knew in her mind that he was important... but she couldn't place why.

By the time she turned to him he was already sitting on the ground, resting a little from this entire ordeal. He finally noticed just how little energy he had left and really needed to recover. But recovery -unknown to him- won't come so easily. For neither of them. He was not yet aware of the lack of excess magic in this world, so assumed he can still get back to his former power. Her question did not come unexpected of course, but it still made him tilt his head and stare at her for a few seconds wordlessly. What made him hesitate with the answer was the fact that he himself wasn't sure of it.

"I do not know where to place you anymore... But you were once my mate." He replied and reached out to take an ornament from the low table next to him that caught his attention, inspecting it closely, turning it in his metallic grip. "Forgetting me and your place is a great crime. So, I don't know if I can consider you that anymore..." He explained, then simply put the item down into his lap, only to take another from the shelf next to him. He recognized this one... A necklace made of blue jay feathers or so he thought. He cast that one aside, finding it too natural for his taste before taking another strange item. He seemed more like a child in a candy shop than anything.

The orange wizard tilted her head.

"Mate?" She whispered to herself. She thought for a while, then gritted her teeth and held her head as it started to throb again. This just pushed her to think that something was seriously wrong. Something was being hidden from her... Her eyes widened as she realized what must have happened. "Damn it all, Gandalf!" She yelled as she realized that the old istar must have had something to do with it. If she truly just forgot, then her head would not be throbbing like this. No, her memories were blocked and the White wizard was the cause.

The wraith's attention was finally turned back to her when he lost interest to the strange items in his lap, instead felt his gaze attract to her once she talked about that wizard. She said it in a rather accusing manner. So... is she now blaming him for forgetting him? Is this just an excuse? He couldn't tell. All he could do was stare at her silently with his head tilted, waiting for her to explain. Well, for a while... Quickly losing interest however, he started to look around, searching for a specific object.

Her staff.

Hyano mumbled something under her breath, then looked towards the -now distracted- wraith. What in Middle-Earth was he doing? He looked like he was looking for something. What could she have that he might want? She tilted her head for a moment, then something hit her like a flash. She blinked a few times before giggling.

"I haven't used a staff since we parted ways, Ren..." She said rather simply. Everything was coming in random sparks, which she assumed was induced by the darkness that the creature emitted. Little pieces of a really big puzzle. It was true, though. She had not even thought to use a staff since they parted ways. She didn't know why but the idea had made her a little sad... Well, she didn't know why until now. It had something to do with this wraith.

Ren slowly looked at her, tilting his head to the side at her words, slightly confused at the comment. No staff? How can that be?

"Why?" He asked, confused about this revelation. She was so persistent to make new ones when he claimed one, making it a little game between the two of them. No matter where she hid the wooden object, he always found it and took it as his own. It was really still a payback for how she handled him when they first met. Does this mean that their game ends here? There surely must be something else she makes and holds dear... right? But this comment also revealed something else to the wraith. "So you do remember." He accused her, crossing his arms over his chest, watching her. She also said it in such a natural way that he was rightfully questioning her. So this whole scene was only a distraction? What did she want to prove with this? Did she want to mask her lack of rescue with this? He really didn't know what to think.

Hyano seemed to get annoyed by this.

"No... I don't remember... Not yet anyway..." She replied and sighed, then walked into her living room and plopped onto the couch. "... There is a spell. One that can remove memories of a specific thing... or in this case you. I don't know when it happened or why but Gandalf must have thought I was better off without my memories of you." She told him, though, she doubted he fully understood. "The fact anything is coming back means a lot, considering the spell is known to wipe out any chance of that." She added more to herself than to him. There should be no chance she could even remember his name, let alone this much.

Ren needed a few seconds to process her words and gather what little knowledge he still had of the tongue of Man. He didn't even know that one can wipe memories with a spell...If he understood her right, that is. If he knew that one... or she could use it... then some of their problems would go away quickly. He was still a little skeptic about this possibility but shrugged and simply followed her after struggling a little to stand. He shuffled into the room where she was, before sitting down again next to a shelf and looked at each item with curiosity, starting to pick them off one by one, inspecting them. It was clear he had no sense of keeping order around him, so what he didn't find interesting simply were thrown aside, what he did find worth his attention were placed in his lap for later use. Of course, his thoughts still wandered and listened to her words.

"Maybe I can help you remember?" He asked in a half whisper, picking at a strangely formed and colored glass, turning it in his grip. "Maybe you forgot but I didn't." Well, most of it. His mind wasn't made to store so much information, because his Lord always took away what they did not need. And he assumed if she started to remember -in case it was truly true that her mind was wiped by a spell- then he can maybe trigger more by telling her what they did together. This is what his brethren used when they needed the other to remember something.

"Maybe... Just meeting you seems to have helped..." Hyano admitted, her eyes following him as he walked around her house. She would have to make a note to clean up once he had finished going through her things. Anyone else would have been hit over the head for acting this way but on him... it kind of felt natural for him to act this way. Expected, really. "So you're the reason I collect all these things..." She said. She had honestly gotten annoyed with herself more than once over all the things she would collect. She could never figure out why in Valar's name she really cared but she just continued collecting. "To answer you earlier question, I never used a staff again because they always depressed me... Had little need for one after a while anyway. Would have looked weird walking around in this age with a staff." She said, shaking her head at the very thought.

He didn't comment on anything she said but kept looking through her things, mainly because he didn't understand much of it and she began using words that he didn't find familiar at all... He felt satisfied that she actually kept all this for him, so when he returns he can sort through them and take what he liked. Which again made him confused about their current situation. She either forgot him or not... There was no middle-road for him and couldn't grasp how for example amnesia worked. One either remembers or doesn't. There is no such thing in his mind as recalling something from the past that he forgot. By the time he was done with one shelf, most of the items were scattered in the room, while some -which he found interesting- were all neatly put in a corner. Those were his. End of story. It was also clear that once he was finished with this room, the whole house will look like a tornado went through it... He stopped what he was doing suddenly and looked around, as if once more searching for something before turning to her briefly.

"Where is the shipmunk?" He asked, turning back to the shelf to continue his work. He didn't really understand the living, so it was no surprise he didn't understand just how short the lifespan of a chipmunk can be.

Hyano blinked at the question and it took her a moment but when she realized who he was talking about, she cringed then sighed.

"Ship died a very long time ago, Ren. Chipmunks only live a max of about fifteen years at most. His kin also died but that was caused by humans and their need to chop down the forests." She replied a little sadly. It was why she didn't live in the forests anymore. As much as she loved nature, she was forced to move out of it when the humans started their forestation. The forests were no longer thick enough to provide a proper home, they hardly supported the life that was supposed to be there. Besides, she ended up doing more good to the humans by actually living among them. One cannot influence a culture like theirs by hiding away in the forest.

Died? His toy is gone?

"Marvelous..." Now Ren had to look for another squeaking animal like him. Just like his kind, he felt no emotions, so no sorrow as well at the loss of his toy, instead was more disappointed that he was gone and had to look for another entertainment. Which will be hard, seeing he could not sense any small animals around them anymore. Which was kind of strange... She was always surrounded by these critters. They gave him enough amusement by running from him and showing fear. He did not comment on the lack of forests either. If the world was his, he would easily let the orcs burn it down without a second thought. There is no need for nature. Not in his mind.

Ren shrugged and went back to do what he was doing before and that basically destroying her room with all the scattered items. One wrong move and one stepped on something.

"What about the wizard? Is he here too?" He asked, turning to her briefly so she acknowledges him before going back to grab another item, inspecting it. He wondered if the White wizard was still lurking around here. He wasn't alert at the moment though. He couldn't sense him and the way Hyano was relaxed; it must mean he isn't exactly here. That didn't mean he wasn't around and will not show up after a while.

The orange wizard shook her head, staying on the couch for now. She was not in the mood to be tripping over herself. When he asked about the White wizard, she thought a moment about her answer.

"No. He left Middle-Earth a long time ago. I will be too, soon." She replied, without her realizing it, she had dropped into Black Speech. She didn't even know it had happened yet. It just happened. Hyano reached into her pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Instead of using her thumb trick and wasting magic, she had started using a lighter a while back. If there was one thing humans were good at, it was inventing small things that were very useful. She pulled out a death stick and lit it before taking a drag of it. These weren't normal cigarettes. She still had very little fondness for normal tobacco. Instead she used some she made herself that had the taste of various sweet things. These were white chocolate.

The Nazgul stopped at what he was doing and looked at her when she spoke up in his language but for now he decided to keep it to himself, noting this suspicious action for the future. He didn't want to push their past subject for now. When she said that the White wizard has left, he tilted his head to the side. This was good news actually... It means no one can truly stand between him and conquering this world... Or is there? No... There isn't. He hissed in approval at this news, liking it very much. The best thing he heard since he was woken up again. He couldn't help but be skeptic about this for a few seconds but eventually settled to believing it. Why not? Hyano didn't lie to him so far, did she? He hoped so. But the mention of her leaving too attracted his attention to her once more and tilted his head to the side.

"You too?" He asked. "Why?" However his gaze was soon shifted to the rather colorful item in her hands. What was that small thing? It spit fire as well... He never saw such a thing, so with such a speed and agility one wouldn't think he had, the wraith basically jumped up and grasped the lighter from her hands, inspecting it.

Hyano blinked as the lighter was snatched out of her hand. She had been in the middle of taking a drag when the object had been snatched. For a split second she wondered if the Nazgul possessed teleportation but she seriously doubted it. Even if he did, he wouldn't have the magic to use it anyway. She blew out some smoke that looked like a rabbit that ran around the room before dissipating.

"There isn't enough magic in Middle-Earth to support me much longer. I have a few years. Three tops. Any more than that and this place will start to kill me. It will turn you to stone again long before that, though." She replied. She was not almost pure magic like he was. He needed a lot more to stay in the form he was in. This land would surely turn him to stone again in about a year. Maybe two if he was lucky.

The lighter was rather amusing. Ren flipped it about in his hands, turning it this way, then that, tilting his head to the side, watching as the liquid within it bounced about according to where he flipped it. Like a cat playing with a toy, his concentration was only and solely on the item he held, watching it intently. He soon stopped and proceeded poking the hard surface, watching how the liquid reacted. Then started flipping it about again, probing it, testing how he can make it spit fire as well. However, despite his attention being on the lighter, he clearly heard her explanation on the matter of magic. He looked up and at her, watching as she puffed out an interesting form in the smoke.

"Stone? I was turned to stone and not just resting?" He asked, not sure what to think of this. He didn't feel any different either... Well... maybe he feels a little weaker than usual... slower... less alert... heavier... But the thought of magic leaving this world was confusing for him. It was always there... Why would it leave? And where is it going? He didn't know that and unlike the many times he would say 'he didn't even want to know', this time he knew he had to ask. He was aware of it that he was dependent on magic. With it vanishing, he cannot live in this world anymore... "Where will you be going?" He asked, wanting to know if she had any plans. She surely does, she did express it before but she did not disclose any details with him...

Hyano blew out another puff that started out as a rose bud, then bloomed before disappearing.

"Across the waters, to where Gandalf and the elves have gone. I am not exactly sure what to expect when I get there but considering how many elves will be there, it is probably going to be interesting to look at." She replied to his question, then reached up snatching the lighter and flicked her thumb over the metal switch. She was showing him how to use it since he took such an interest in it. They were easy to get so she had no problem with him having the little fire starter.

Ren watched as she took the lighter, almost reaching out to get it back, feeling robbed but eventually calmed down as he realized that she just wanted to show him how it works. Of course he was a wraith, so was afraid of fire, seeing it not only burned his cloak but also was so light it hurt his senses and made him blind. But this tiny fire? It was more alluring. Like a moth that was attracted to the moon and the light sources, so did he seek the little fire in the lighter. Once he got it back, he fumbled with it a little more, trying to get it going, failing miserably until he accidentally held his finger right and the tiny flame appeared. He hissed in triumph and watched the fire as it kept going as long as he held it right. Once he shifted his finger, it was gone. Feeling disappointed, he tried again.

"I will go too..." He simply stated. It wasn't an offer. It was a strict statement. He was sure she wouldn't let him become nothing more but a stone statue and wanted to carry on with his plans. The new world also presents a new opportunity to start anew. A new base... new army... new strength... No one will even suspect he was around until it was too late. The creatures of light have created their dream world, seeing the humans succeeded in surviving this long... It is time the dark side has its own created land.

Hyano thought on what she knew of the wraith so far and could easily figure out exactly why he wanted to go. To survive... and take over. She shrugged.

"Then what?" She asked him bluntly. If he hadn't noticed, there weren't exactly any other magical creatures on his side. Let alone any at all besides her. Did he really think that once he got across the waters, that was going to change so easily? Or did he actually have some kind of plan in mind?

"Then?" He asked back, turning to her, his new 'toy' forgotten for a few seconds. "Surprise will be on my side. They don't count on me coming..." He started, deciding that sharing with her what he planned can't harm him. She saved him once more from these humans who would have made short work of him in his weakened state. This also showed him that maybe she forgot him; she was still ready to help him. He just needed to play 'nice' again and win her over. So, he will be yet again more tolerant. "I will hide first, gather energy... With you... I will build an army and a base. Before they realize what is happening the new world is mine." He told her as if the plan was perfect but of course he was aware that he needed a more detailed plan. He will have the time to think of it, though.

The orange wizard blew out her last puff before taking what was left of the stick and putting it out in an ash tray.

"The only way over there is on an elven boat. So unless you have any ideas on how to trick them into thinking you are an elf, you might not have as much of an advantage as you think." She pointed out to him. Though, she was not against bringing him along because she had a feeling that while this part of the world was in chaos being taken over to a high extent by the humans, the other side was in total peace. Mother Nature could not have that. Maybe that is why the Valar allowed this creature out of all of them to live. Because he was to bring back balance. Things were not as they should be and she was sure in the new world Gandalf was likely feeling the same way. Her thoughts turned to what he said about rebuilding an army. She thought about it and her mind flashed through various memories. Many of which weren't so pleasant. She hissed and held her head in one hand before turning a glare on him. "If you think I'm stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice you got another thing coming, Ren." She snapped.

"Trick?" The Nazgul asked, not sure what she meant. While it was true that he had a hand in her change of behavior, she was all too eager to go with it as well. Half the time there was no trick. Like when she started to learn dark magic. He didn't tell her to do so. She started on her own. He just made sure she kept up with it. Every way possible. "There was no trick. Think again. You started on your own." He tried reminding her. He really needed to somehow trigger her memories, which made her bond to him so greatly. He needed that bond again.

Hyano leaned back, crossing her arms. Did he not consider him acting like he actually cared about her when they both know he didn't a trick? She shook her head, deciding not to push it.

"I'm done thinking about it for now. Every time I think about it, my head starts hurting and it only comes back in pieces anyway." She told him before standing up. "Besides, I need to go get you some new clothes anyway. If you ever plan on going out, you are not going to be able to do it looking like that." She said, looking him over a moment. He shouldn't be that hard to get clothes for, just had to make sure she got all black. He could keep the shoes he already wore. Those should be fine. They could easily pass off for steel toed boots anyway.

"New clothes?" He asked, putting down the lighter a little. "I don't need new clothes. I am fine the way I am." He said stubbornly, refusing to even part himself with his current attire. It gave him the form he wanted and didn't tell too much about his abilities. He will keep to these robes which were given to him by his master. There is no way will he ever swap it for others. No way. He continued grumbling in himself, taking the lighter again from the floor and inched away, going right into the next room, away from her, continuing to talk to himself silently, clearly not pleased with the current settings.

"Maybe in the old world you were fine, Ren, but in this one, not so much. Besides, clothes today are more..." She stopped, trying to think of the right word for clothes in this age. This is when she finally noticed how she was speaking. Or rather in what language. She blinked a few times, then shook her head. Well, that was a new trick... or rather an old trick she forgot. She walked after him into the kitchen. "Trust me. You will like the clothes. They are a lot like what you are wearing now, only you won't stick out as much. I'm pretty sure if Sauron still existed, even he would have updated his choice of clothing by now." She pointed out. Sauron might not have been able to feel but the fact was he had been very much about the advance of technology. Mostly in warfare but advancement none the less. If he had taken over, she was sure all the advancements that the humans had made up to this point would have still happened and probably been surpassed by this point.

"No!" He said firmly and stubbornly, keeping to his choice. "My cloak stays." He said firmly before shuffling slowly up to the center of the kitchen, then sniffed, sensing something... strange... His gaze was soon attracted to the source of the strange scent, which was -unknown to him- the salt and pepper holder. Tilting his head to the side at the strange items, he went right up to them and leaned slightly closer, sniffing at them audibly, before stopping and leaning back a little. Up close they didn't smell as good at all, which made him back down and suddenly he let out a short hiss, which was more forced, equivalent to a wraith sneezing, which was meant to push the air that overloaded his nose away from his senses. He shook his head and stepped back from them before shuffling up to one of the cupboards, opening a cabinet, he started rummaging through them, interested in their contents.

Hyano jumped onto a counter stool, watching as he looked around like a child. He acted a lot like a big kid.

"You either change your clothes or you don't get to leave the house. Period." She said bluntly. Unlike when she was a younger she wasn't so willing to let him always have his way, especially considering he was dressed like a certain statue that technically just blew up in the museum they just left.

"I rarely left the tree house too..." Ren shot right back, not at all minding that he needed to stay inside. Well, not yet... This of course made the wizard giggle and wonder how he will be able to keep to this. Not until there is so much to explore in this new house of his. He didn't think that much forward anyway. Well, if he ever wished to go outside, he could always just go at night, in the darkness when no one sees him. He however didn't have as much understanding to just how strong the lights of the streets were. He will have to find that out on his own.

"No new clothes!" He demanded, looking up at her as if daring her to speak up again against him, then simply resumed pulling out everything from the cupboard, finding some strange items here and there, which were then neatly put into the corner. He will gather them when he felt like it and put it into the place which he will consider his own little corner. Or hide them somewhere. His own little treasures.

"What do you use all these for?" He asked, tilting his head to the side and picked out a larger filter, watching as the light of the room seeped through the tiny holes in it.

At his question Hyano looked at the item in his hand.

"Cooking mostly. Sometimes they come in handy for potion making, however many potions have lost their effect by now." She replied. She had a habit of just picking up food at the nature's market as she got hungry but every now and again she would take the time to actually cook a meal for herself or a guest she got every once in a blue moon.

The wraith didn't know what this 'cooking' meant but he guessed it must be rather tiresome, seeing the many items. He actually thought she needed each one of them for 'cooking' at once. Finishing with that cupboard, he turned to the next and resumed his little exploration, making the whole kitchen a battle scene, before moving on to yet another room. The lighter however was hidden within his cloak, refusing to give it back to her. That is his now. Now, instead of staffs, he will get her lighters.

As Hyano watched the Ringwraith sort through her items, she thought back to her old home, the tree house where he most certainly must have done the same thing. She even remembered the shack that turned into a tree house, and until now she couldn't figure out why it had happened but she didn't think to question. She thought for a moment, then a flash of fire passed in front of her eyes. She shook her head then looked at Ren. So that was why.

"... I thought you died once... when the fire happened." She said mostly to herself. It had scared her more than anything that day. She had been on her way home but the villagers had beat her to it and set it aflame. She honestly believed for a moment she had lost her rather odd friend.

The wraith then proceeded across the room, finding the bathroom where he stopped, looking around at the extreme cleanness of this chamber. It basically shined and seemed almost so reflecting like the one they had in Moria... That... how did she call it? Mirror was it? He couldn't quite remember that one. He reached out and touched the surface, watching as it reflected his movement. Her question only briefly tore him from his new activity as he turned around to look at her before continuing what he was doing, then started rummaging through her things... Personal... not exactly public things.

"Yes... The coward humans. Instead of facing me, they set the fire. But not even fire could kill me." He simply replied. "But everything turned out right and you made that tree house. But all my possessions were gone..." He wasn't sad about that, after all he was not able to feel anything like that and many small things he was able to dig out of the ruins. The other things are gone. And what is gone is no more. No need to feel disappointed about that.

Hyano giggled.

"You and collecting stuff… You would put most humans to shame with that habit of yours." She said, then got off the stool. "Come on. You can have the basement. There are no windows so it should help you feel better and you can keep your stuff down there." She said as she walked through the house to the basement door, then opened it. It used to be a dungeon at one point so it was rather large with stone walls. However, like the rest of her home, it had been modernized to a point with various items from through the ages. It looked more like a din now where one could watch TV or just relax with a couch, coffee table and shelves that had various items on it.

The wraith however had little interest in what she said and instead kept looking through her things. Even those that would be for ladies only. He picked through everything, until he came to a few oils that more than likely are for bathing. He struggled a little to open the bottle that was in his grasp but eventually realized that it needed to be twisted in order to get to the content. Once done, he held it closer and sniffed it a little. It was a coconut scented lotion of some sort and he rather liked the scent of it. He also noticed just how slow the liquid seemed to move compared to water and started letting some drip away onto the floor, watching the strange slow flow. Of course, this also let him smell more of the content, which he yet again liked. Instead following her about, the wraith proceeded looking through the lotions, wash materials and all that was there, making a rather large and difficult mess of scents and colors.

Once Hyano realized that Ren did not follow her, she sighed and turned around to leave the room, and left the door open for him if he decided to wander inside. She was sure he would find the basement and probably claim it as his own anyway. She blinked as she came back up and was assaulted by the heavy amounts of smells. She walked to the bathroom and blinked at the mess he made.

"Question. Are you always this... messy or is that a new thing?" She inquired curiously with her hands in her hoody pockets. How could a creature who was obviously so old be so childish? Then again, she had very little room to talk. She was well known for pulling pranks on the town's children, especially around the more spooky holidays.

Like nothing happened at all, the wraith simply walked out of the room, almost slipping on the lotions he spilled out from the bottles, having hidden the coconut scented one in his cloak. That one is his and she will not have it.

"I don't make a mess. Why do people hold everything in a bottle?" He asked, thinking his question was rather valid. If they weren't so much hidden and protected by those bottles, he wouldn't need to spill them to see what is inside. He was of course covered by all sorts of liquids but he didn't seem to care about that. These lotions had mild scents, so did not disturb his sense of smell. They weren't as intensive, thank Lord, not like those herbs she used to keep in the tree house. He very much hoped she doesn't make that strange substance anymore, that smelly thing... He hissed at the thoughts before proceeding to yet another door, opening it, landing in her bedroom. Here he stopped and already felt curiosity grasp at his mind for what he might find. People usually hide a lot of treasures at their sleeping quarters. He stepped inside to do the same thorough job he did everywhere else.

Here, Hyano had to stop him. She walked up behind him and caught his gauntleted hand. The room was simple, really. It had a bed, her closet, a book shelf, her dresser and of course a nightstand with a lamp and the current book she was reading. Nothing visibly interesting, however she did not want him wrecking her book shelf and she had certain... items in the nightstand drawer that she did not want Ren getting into...

What? She may look like she is only in her twenties but she has been on this planet long enough, that having certain items for her alone-time were required. She really did not want to explain that to Ren, though.

"Sorry, Ren, but hell no." She said firmly and pulled him right back out.

Ren could do nothing more for the moment than just stand there shocked as his mate denied him entrance to this room. He didn't know what was so special about it. It surely must be her sleeping quarters, seeing the bed. She always sleeps in a bed after all. But why doesn't she want him to get in there now? She didn't oppose his approach in any room. But now... she doesn't let him in there? He was supposed to meditate there as well, wasn't he...? They share chambers. This was a basic rule of being mates. In addition, this territory is his now. He will say where he goes in his own home.

"Why?" He asked first, not wanting to use his authority yet but stared at her, wanting to hear the reason. A good one at that.

Hyano stood there, turning a deep shade of red. She groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Okay fine... Just... put the books back when you are done with them and... could you stay out of the table by the bed? There are... ugh... I doubt you will even know what the items are when you see them... um." She grumbled, trying to figure out how to explain this without completely destroying her dignity. Then she just sighed. "You know what... just... just look but don't touch the items in there if you are going to look. Trust me on this... You don't want to touch them." She told him and stepped to the side for him.

Her babbling about and words actually made the wraith more curious than the other way around. When he stepped into the room, the first thing his sight caught was that nightstand next to the bed. He eyed it for a good few seconds if not a minute and simply went to the side, for now ignoring the container. He sorted through the books first but he found nothing of interest, seeing they were all in the language of man. Not soon after he landed in front of a shelf, not minding at all that the books were all laying on the floor. Now those were interesting items and started to sort through them as well, making a mess in this room as well, and of course keeping an eye on the nightstand she so fiercely defended. He was the Lord of this territory anyway, wasn't he? Of course he can do whatever he wished. He owned this place now. Once he set the last item to the side there was nothing else... but the nightstand. His turned towards it slowly and then started walking towards it like nothing too special is happening.

Hyano groaned but allowed it to happen, sure he would find nothing of interest... But, of course, he wanted to see what was in there. Well... she warned him. A part of her wanted to see his reaction. She leaned against the doorframe, getting ready to laugh. There is no way this would end well, considering she was supposed to be his mate she wondered just how he would react to knowing she had handled herself all these years?

Well, let's say that his reaction wasn't that of shock or being offended... It was... confusion. He had absolutely no idea what those things are. But they did look... interesting. Being a wraith, he couldn't associate them to anything he could remember... All he could do is seek knowledge from his mate, so directed his gaze to her, and then gestured for her to tell him what they are. He wasn't mortal of course and wasn't familiar with such things.

Hyano giggled and shook her head.

"Well... my mate... those are um... items that allow me fulfill certain needs... You know..." She tried to explain then sighed. "They are used to replace sex, alright!" She finally yelled, her face as red as a tomato. She wasn't even sure if the creature in front of her could do such things, let alone knew what it was. Why in the world couldn't he just listen and keep his hands in his pockets? ... Does he have pockets in that outfit of his? She shook her head. She really needed to stop thinking so hard. The thought trains she would get on were rather random.

The foreign word did ring a bell. He could faintly remember they discussed this word before... But his memory wasn't exactly the best and couldn't remember such tiny details. So, the wraith set to do what he knew best. He tilted his head to the side and stared at her, clearly having problems in understanding what she was talking about. He was a wraith and lacked the vocabulary that mostly described activities, emotions or thoughts that he has no use of. One such a word is what she used.

Hyano proceeded to start hitting her head repeatedly against the doorframe. The wraith couldn't make this easy on her at all, could he? She sighed, leaning her forehead against the doorframe for a moment.

"The thing you have to do to make babies. Mating. Whatever else you want to call it. What happens when a guy and girl mix their privet bits? How many more ways is there to say it?!" She yelled the last part before hitting her head again.

"Oh... Say it that way." Ren simply said, finally recognizing what she was talking about when she mentioned 'mating', almost scolding her with his tone. Why do mortals always have to find new names to some actions? Like this. He wondered if it had other names as well... However, he was stuck at a part of the sentence. Make babies? He heard the word 'baby' a few times from mortals when they talked about their spawn. How can one 'make babies' with mating? He knew for one that his brother, Hoarmurath was mating with human females but they never 'made babies'. There was no offspring. He didn't understand the concept of breeding of course, not even how children can exist, let alone understanding how biology worked..."Babies?" He asked, thinking this might be enough to indicate he didn't understand that bit.

Hyano's shoulders slumped and she let out a heavy sigh.

"When you do mating, sometimes that will create babies. It is because you mix with the other person." She tried to explain, then sighed again. "Can we stop talking about this now? Unless we ever did that or you plan on doing that anytime soon, I really don't think you should care." She pointed out, crossing her arms. She wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible, though by the looks of things, she wasn't likely to get her wish. He always had question. Which by istari culture was a good thing but he was a hard person to explain things to so in reality it was just annoying.

So... it is a 'sometimes' thing? This must be why his brother never had any offspring... The Nazgul kept his gaze on her before it returned to the items he found.

"So... you make babies with this?" He asked, not sure what to think. She did say mating can cause babies, so basically if she is mating with these items, she can have babies too? But if she is his mate... then she should also stay loyal to him and not use these... items as her partners. He is supposed to be her only partner. Even in mating or 'making babies' which he may or may not be capable of doing. Not only did she forget about him but she was also not loyal to him in this case... Now this is an even more serious crime than the last. This also might mean that he can't trust her in any way if she became so independent from him...

"Noooo that is... a fake! It provides the same feels while lacking the actual mate... Natural instinct requires I um... perform this in order to relax... However, I never found anyone to my liking so I use those instead." The wizard explained. "It is hard to explain to someone who doesn't feel these urges. It is just a way to relax the body and mind I guess." She said, rubbing the back of her head. She was explaining the science behind it because it was true. "If you had been here, I might not have had need for them but... I guess that couldn't be." She said with a sigh.

"Mating is something strictly limited to partners." The Nazgul pointed out, keeping to the old ways as they were. He never thought about changing it in any way. Even if he was the only one of his kind left and could easily make changes without consequences, he still kept to everything the way they were. "If your mind and body told you it wanted to mate... then you should have put a little more effort in finding and freeing me than using these... disgusting things to ease your mind." He told her, shutting the container for now but planned to steal those things and destroy them. He felt rather offended at her seeking relaxation from items than from him. This only showed his bad choice and the urge to kill her this instant. The treachery!

Hyano gripped her fists. A part of her mind woke up when he challenged how hard she had tried to get to him. She remembered how hard she had tried. How much Ren had been on her mind... Until he wasn't in there anymore.

"How exactly do I save someone when I can't remember where they are, let alone their name?" She pointed out with her arms crossed. "It's not like my memories left easily. It took some time, however even when I had them I couldn't leave. My powers had been taken away and the only way to get them back was Gandalf." She told him, shaking her head. "You're acting like I didn't try at all... It's bloody insulting."

"Because I didn't see you try." Ren replied back. Of course he had no idea about said magic that was used on her and so did not exactly believe her. Especially not when she suddenly sometimes says things that indicate she knows him very well. So, it was just valid from him to question this and kept to it firmly. He was the one who felt insulted by her choices and questioned his own when he announced her new status. The Nazgul then proceeded to stand and walked out of the room, back to the kitchen, where he kept going through the stuff he already saw. The truth was that he simply needed time to think of his next move and if he truly should believe her. His pride was bruised as well by her choosing items over him. He cannot trust her anymore...

Hyano sighed and walked into her room and started putting the things away.

"Not like much would have changed even if I had saved you." She mumbled. Time still would have tried to turn the wraith into stone even if he hadn't been in Mordor. It didn't take her long to put the books away and the few random items he had tossed. She was lucky she honestly didn't have much in this room. When she did finish, she stepped out leaving the door open. She had never needed to keep him out of any room before... maybe he would feel better if he was not restricted now. She noticed he was still in the kitchen so she left him alone, not in the mood to deal with him at the moment. She then plopped onto the living room's couch and picked up the remote and turned on the TV. Of course, the first thing to come on was the news talking about the events at the museum. She cursed under her breath. Things would be iffy in this town for a while because of that.

The sound of someone else talking within the house jerked the Nazgul from his thoughts and made him jump up in defense, making many items he was sitting among clatter loudly and pushed himself against the nearest wall on accident by tripping on the various dishes he scattered around. He stayed that way for a few seconds if not for a minute, listening on what is being said, understanding very little. However, the lack of response from Hyano might indicate that either this person isn't a threat... or she was just killed... But then... where is the scent of blood or the feeling of death? Curious, yet cautious, the wraith inched forward and peeked out of the kitchen, right towards the sound of the voices. No one was there... All he saw was Hyano, sitting on her furniture and was watching a... black box. It also seemed to shine with some kind of light. Now, with his curiosity greatly spiked, the Ringwraith proceeded to inch closer, interested in this... item... He wondered what it is for or if it is safe... He noticed the people within it, which made him back down a little... they might spot him if he went too close... How can Hyano let in strangers into her room to climb into this box and... talk... Or maybe she knows them?

The orange wizard saw him out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't help but giggle lightly. If she hadn't watched this item come into being, she might have been freaked out as well. However, she did know and understood it rather well. She stood up and walked over to him, taking his hand again and tugged him over to the couch.

"There is no one else actually here. This box is called a television or TV. It receives recorded pictures. These people are across town at the building where I found you." She explained to him calmly as she sat back down. "You have no idea just how much has changed in the past five thousand years."

_Strange..._ Ren calmed slightly as she explained to him but jerked his hand away soon after, still angry with her. He couldn't help but still stay cautious... His lack of trust towards her made him trust this box less. He for one didn't understand how it worked... How can the people be in two different places...? Is this magic? But then what kind? He didn't feel any other magic than what was flowing within the both of them... He tilted his head to the side as the person within the box kept talking rather fast, making it hard for the wraith to understand. But the place they showed was slightly familiar… like... he was there before.

"What is he talking about?" He asked, pointing towards the man who was still talking even if the box showed the place again.

Hyano raised a brow at the question.

"The building you were at is called a museum. It is where they keep objects from long ago, so people today can see parts of their history. They thought you were a statue. When you were released the stone exploded and took out the lights in the building, scaring people a little and leaving a lot of them questioning what happened. The local police are investigating but I doubt they are finding much." She explained then realized he probably doesn't know what police are. So when one popped up on the screen she pointed. "That is a police or cop. They are a lot like royal guard only they have no relation to royalty normally and they patrol the whole town." She explained to him and watched as the cop answered to the questions of the reporter, although he indeed did not have anything of value to say.

Curiosity was still a great power within Ren. The Nazgul wanted to know how this thing worked. If it isn't magic... then they have to be here in this room... There is no way they can be elsewhere. The wraith then inched backwards, to the back of the black box and poked it, watching as it didn't budge. Are the people inside there? This was when he noticed the long cable and his gaze followed it. He proceeded to see where it led. Once arriving at the wall, he noticed that it was attached to it now. Strange... Deciding to leave it as it is now; he went back to the box and watched as the pictures soon changed to something else. He didn't say anything to her or commented on her explanation, just watched what is going on, sitting not far on the ground. Soft things were still not liked by him, so simply chose the ground over the couch.

Hyano watched him for a moment and giggled as he seemed to take an interest in what was going on. She thought a moment, then got up and handed him the remote.

"This button turns it on and off. That one changes the channel." She explained to him, thinking she would let him have fun with it for now. At least she wouldn't have to worry about keeping his mind entertained, unless he actually ran out of things to watch, though considering how much he knew of this world… he would stay well occupied for a while. "I will be back in a little while. I doubt anyone will come by but if they do just ignore it. It is probably just the neighbor kids." She said wanting to go out and do some quick shopping before the day was over. She still wanted to get him those clothes.

The Nazgul slowly took the remote from her and looked at it. It had way more little things on it which could be pushed no doubt, so surely she isn't telling him everything. But dismissing it, he actually wondered what the 'channels' are... Tilting his head to the side, the wraith poked that button with an index finger and watched as the box went black for a moment, only to come back and this time instead of that human talking, it showed him some kind of forest and the creatures in it. Still not exactly sure, he poked it again, only to have it show him this time... humans singing. Hissing, finding the noise irritating, he pushed the button again to see this time a scene of a warzone and humans killing each other in a movie.

Now... this was more interesting.

Hyano watched him change until he got to the more violent channel. Maybe she should set him up with WWE tonight before bed. She was sure he would get a kick out of that. She smiled, then stepped back from him.

"Be back soon." She called as she walked out, locked the door and put a spell on it like she normally did. Mostly out of habit really. Then she left, going straight to the clothing store. As much as Ren hated the idea, if he ever planned on getting out of that house without gaining too much attention, he would have to change his look at least slightly.

As everyone would know who knew the wraith, Ren's attention span was extremely short. Only ten more minutes of watching this show and he got bored of it so simply focused his gaze on the remote now, tossing it around with a finger, watching as it slid around. But even this seemed to not give him the entertainment he wished for. So, for the rest of the time he was alone, he decided to continue his exploration. He finally found the basement where he skimmed over all the items quickly, before deciding to sort through them as well. Not five minutes into it, the Nazgul's thoughts shifted to Hyano and the argument they had. The way she behaved was offending and he knew she didn't forget about him. She simply wanted to hide it by this. But no one can play with Ren if he isn't the one setting the rules! Thinking back to all that she said in anger, he decided to go on with his plan. He will not let her go about everything like nothing else is different. No matter how she disliked it, he will make her sleeping quarters his base as well and will not let her use those 'items' in any way. But because she offended him, he will not offer mating either until she worked for his trust again. He started to rummage through the rooms once more, leaving another battlefield behind, also took her 'items' and hid them very well away where she won't look or won't bother looking. He also proceeded to look thoroughly through her quarters again, before settling down in front of the black box, feeling slightly tired out. Most of the mess was made because he wanted to make her work, not because of his curiosity. She will pay for her mistakes with many more messes.

Hyano was gone for maybe a half hour.

Not long at all. When she came back the house was quiet and for a moment she honestly thought he had left. This worried her but she quickly relaxed when she saw him in front of the TV resting. She smiled a little before going about putting the things she had gotten him on the couch next to him. She didn't say anything, just left the clothing bag beside him, expecting him to ignore it, then went to her room to get changed and was welcomed with yet another mess. She groaned in annoyance and started cleaning, not noticing her 'items' were missing just yet. Once the room was back in order she got changed, putting on a tang top and short shorts, both simple and perfect for sleeping. It wasn't until she was right by the bed that she finally noticed the nightstand was slightly ajar. The young woman blinked, then looked inside and twitched.

She stormed out of her room then grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and beamed him in the head with it.

As she expected, he ignored the bag altogether. While he was actually curious what might be in it, he was stubbornly forcing himself to not look. He thought she placed it there so he would look, to spike his interest. But no such thing will happen! However, he did not expect what happened after that. He heard her approach and did not think much of it... until he felt the force on his head, which caused him to lean away, almost falling to his side but instead managed to slide away, successfully scratching the floor with his sharp gauntlets. He quickly used his chance to look in the direction where the blow came from and hissed sharply, angrily, noticing her with her 'weapon'.

Hyano glared right back at him, seemingly lacking any fear from him.

"You can be as pissed off as you want, Ren. I don't even care. I have gone through more than enough in my time that putting up with an overgrown child doesn't bother me. But if you plan on acting like a child, then guess what? I'm going to beat you like a child!" She snapped at him. She was furious. She wanted nothing more than to toss him outside when the sun was high and lock the door on him but she wouldn't... A part of her couldn't. A part of her was happy he was back even if she didn't know why. However, the way he was acting... it made her hurt too.

What exactly made her go off, Ren didn't know, but perhaps he just found the best degree of 'mess' where she will go at him like a rabid warg. However, because of his nature, he didn't feel intimidated but hissed once more when she shouted at him and decided to counter any attack she might do. He of course still felt weak but he won't let her reduce him to a subordinate! He was maybe her mate -which he is questioning very heavily now- but he was still superior!

The orange wizard gripped her fists. He seemed to expect her to attack him and part of her really wanted to. Since she brought him home he had been nothing short of a royal pain. However, she didn't, instead she shook her head and tossed the pillow back on the couch.

"You know what... You aren't worth it. So far in the few memories I've gotten I haven't had one good one. You keep giving me hell because 'I didn't come for you' or apparently the fact I used toys in the past five thousand years bothers you... I…Don't... Care!" She hissed then turned to go back to her room.

Ren wanted to go after her... he really did. Give her a good memory of his power before he ends her life once the sun went down completely. But he held himself back, thinking the same. She wasn't worth his time anymore. He can easily sort everything out on his own once she was forced to fall asleep. He will have plenty of time to think about everything and execute the right actions. His senses automatically felt for his sword beneath his cloak.

She was wrong on one thing about her comments.

He easily dismissed the trouble and the thought of her using 'items' for certain mortal needs... that wasn't the problem. The problem was that he did not believe her when she said she was made to forget him. If one forgets something -in his mind- then it is gone for good. However she seemed to remember. It was clear in many of her comments that she knew who she is talking to which made him question her loyalty to him, her trust and his choice. If she truly remembered him, then she should have tried to get to him or at least show some signs of having tried. But all he got so far was the idea that she all too easily replaced him with whatever she found and simply didn't think of him as her mate anymore, giving up on him. So, he huffed and simply went back to the black box, resuming watching it.

Hyano sighed as she got to her room, leaving the door open yet again. She didn't feel the need to shut the door. It was her house after all. She sighed and rubbed her temples. If this is what she had to deal with before, then no wonder she didn't try to go back for him. Even if she had remembered him he wasn't much of someone she would really want to get back. She sighed then plopped onto the bed, picking up the book she had been reading the past few nights. She found reading helped her sleep. Most of the time she read history books of one kind or another, reminding herself of things she had gone through and also making her laugh at things Man got wrong. This also helped her relax, taking her mind off of the black creature in her living room and allowing her to think of other things. Eventually, she did fall asleep the book resting on her chest.

While Ren's dark hood was turned towards the black box, his mind was hard at work to sum up everything that happened and can happen in any situation that he creates. In all the laws that surrounds his kind, she earned a very painful death by abandoning him and by not staying loyal and attempting to forget about him. If he killed her now, not only would he do as it is necessary, seeing he had no more use for her with her current behavior but she also knows too much about him and his plans. Who knows how many would know about him in just a few weeks. The whole territory would belong to him and he could do as he wished. However, if he truly killed her, she cannot show him to that new world she wanted to go to... and he surely would be discovered. But... would he rather die here and become a 'statue' as she put it or does he want to put up with her attitude and her betrayal? For many it would be an easy choice but for him, his pride was his everything...

He truly was at a loss on what to do.

The Nazgul could fulfill his Lord's will in the new world... but would he even go that far even with her? No. He probably wouldn't. Not how things look like and he was damn tired of having to lower himself to behave the way she wants it. He was done with that when he lived with her in the tree house and enjoyed lordship in Moria. He didn't think he needed to repeat that again. And he wasn't willing to. For now, he will postpone his decision; see how things go in the next few days between them.

With this, Ren pushed the other button on the remote she showed him and retreated into the basement. Right now, he was so angry at her that he just didn't want to be in one room with her.

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**Well, not the best first day for the two of them, is it. But we wonder… What do you think Ren will decide?**

**We will come back in two weeks with a brand new chapter!**

_CA Productions_


	2. The Gift of Technology

**Here is the second chapter for your entertainment.**

_CA Productions_

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Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Chapter 2 - The Gift of Technology

_-next morning-_

When Hyano woke up the next day, she went about her usual morning.

She got up, marking the spot she had been in the book, then walked out of her room yawning as she did. She then walked into the kitchen and was instantly reminded of her... guest. She looked about the room with a sigh. Normally she would go about making breakfast but... seemed that wouldn't be possible. She sighed then started cleaning, mumbling to herself as she did so.

It took the wizard about half an hour but she eventually got it back to working order, then set up the coffeemaker before getting out the things she would need to make chocolate chip pancakes. She felt she should treat herself to something nice after a rather... bad evening yesterday. She honestly hoped Ren was in a better mood today.

Ren has spent the night in the basement and in his anger and frustration didn't yet come up, not wanting to meet her just yet. His mood didn't get all that much better either. Even if he meditated and recovered just a little after a few hours. He was stubbornly refusing to go and see what she was doing, even when he heard all the noise coming from above or the strange scents he never smelt before. Some were intensive and irritated him even more than anything, making his mood even fouler and pulled back even deeper into the darker parts, enjoying the lack of light here the most. This calmed him just a little but not enough to move up. He will not go and behave like nothing happened. He was still angry and will stay so until he figured out what to do with her.

Hyano made her breakfast. A cup of coffee and pancakes. Not a bad way to start the morning... however her mind kept going to the man in her basement... Well kind of a man. She thought a moment before looking around and finding something, then picked up her cup and plate and went down to the basement.

The Nazgul in the basement heard her approach and stubbornly stayed away from her, hissing sharply at the sudden intense stench of her coffee, not liking it one bit, pulling back even more into the darkness. The scent was simply too intense for his sensitive nose, even more than that strange substance she used to make in the tree house.

The wizard didn't turn on the lights, not wanting to disturb him but she did set something down on the table before sitting on the couch, then started drinking her coffee and eating her breakfast quietly.

On the table was another lighter. This one had black and white skull designs covering it and seemed to glow in the dark slightly.

Ren's attention was almost instantly attracted to said item on the table. It had a bright color... yet it was dark in the room... So how is this bright then? He didn't know what that was with the distance he put between them. Curiosity was yet again a great enemy for him but also a great power and with his gaze glued to the item, he inched closer to it, until with a swift motion he snatched it from the table, pulling back from it almost instantly, going back to his little corner -which also held now most of the items he sorted out for himself- to fumble with it and inspected the weird glowing design.

Hyano giggled lightly, watching him. The coffee didn't last long and neither did the pancakes, so after she was done she sat on the couch with her legs crossed.

"... Can you tell me more about you?" She asked him calmly. She wanted to know, despite how angry she had been yesterday, she wanted more than anything to know who this wraith was to her... They were mates right... So had they... Had they ever done anything together like that? Did they love one another? Or did she love him? Was there ny tight connection between them?

Ren realized that what he was holding was a lighter. Another one. With a different design. It looked so strange, yet so interesting with the lights. It glowed on its own. Is this magic as well? But there is no other magic than his and Hyano's. He fumbled with it a little before finally finding that one place where he can make it spit fire. Her question caused him to let go of the little button for a few seconds, looking at her but returned to it quickly. The dance of the fire on the lighter was mesmerizing. The way it moved, it attracted his gaze and made him stare at it almost in trance. However, his attention never faltered. He still kept a good eye on the istar at the table. Her question was confusing. She knew him already, as she showed it many times and now asked him who he was? Was she playing a game and thinks he will fall for it? He wasn't stupid. But he will humor her for now and actually start talking. Not like he had anything else to do.

"Servant of the Dark Lord, Lord of Moria... and now this place." He said matter of factly, stating that he thought he owned this place as well.

Not quite what she had wanted. The facts he gave her were things that she already knew. She knew he worked for Sauron. Anyone with eyes could have figured that out. Moria, she had not known but that wasn't a far stretch either. She knew about the orcs who had lived there at one point but she did not know about the fact she had caused quite a battle there in the past. The fact he claimed this place as his was no surprise either, considering he kept trashing the place. She sighed.

"Can you give me any memories? I had a dream about you last night...At least I think it was you... It was strange, so I don't know if it was a dream or my mind messing with me." She replied as she leaned back.

At this point the wraith's sharp fingers found that little switch on the lighter which lowers and increases the flame that the lighter spits. He accidentally switched it to the side, making the flame become extremely small. He leaned back in surprise at this, and having felt the switch, he went to look for it again. His attention went back to her in the next moment as she spoke and turned towards her briefly, tilting his head to the side.

"What dream?" He knew what it meant of course, Hyano explained the dreams to him a while back that they can be good and bad, that they happen while she is asleep and sees pictures that feel real. However, it would help him if she told him what her dream contained.

"Um... it was back when I was a little girl, I guess... There was this man... We were playing a game of tag, I think... Running around a castle. Every now and again people would yell at us about it but we would just ignore them and keep playing. We ran into a dining hall where I hid under the table. He found me and caught me from behind and started to tickle me. I laughed and I cried out for him to stop... I called him Ren..." She explained to him, wondering if he knew anything about this.

A castle? The wraith tilted his head to the side, watching her for a good minute. He can't remember castles... A stronghold, yes, Minas Morgul... But he can't remember her being there. The first time he saw her was in the forest after the strange silence of his Lord, which didn't yet let up. No matter how silent he was, his Lord remains mute within his head, leaving him to make his own decisions. But Hyano? No... He couldn't remember that. He shook his head at her, having no memories of such.

"No. I wasn't in any castles. Only Minas Morgul. But you weren't there yet." And he doubted she will ever be. The stronghold surely was destroyed by these filthy humans. At this, he shifted his grip on the lighter, touching the switch accidentally, which then set the flame bigger, to its biggest size, making the wraith back up from it, almost setting his cloak on fire. "But we played in the shack... the tree house... and in Moria." He decided to share this with her, although he knew she can remember. She is just playing. He still believed strongly in what he thought was the truth.

Hyano looked down. Maybe that was just a dream, her head playing tricks on her because it was stressed out. She blinked when he lit the fire again almost lighting himself on fire. She debating on telling him to be careful but she assumed based on his actions that he already knew that. She raised a brow at his claim then leaned her head back.

"So there are good memories... I don't remember them, though..." She mumbled more to herself than him, getting a little frustrated. This mental block she had was more than a little annoying. She wished Gandalf hadn't done this to her... though considering what she knew so far, she was probably better off.

Ren did not comment on that but let her be with her own inner turmoil, while he fumbled with the lighter and eventually found the exact location of the switch, lowering the flame's size to the normal one. Now he knows not to touch that part of the lighter. He huddled closer into the corner, getting comfortable and resumed watching the fire the lighter spit, almost in a trance.

"You will run out of lighter fluid if you leave it on too long." Hyano said, not even looking at him. "The fluid inside is easily set on fire. When you press the button it makes a spark that lights the fluid on fire. If you run out of fluid, the lighter doesn't work anymore." She explained to him simply, then finally turned her eyes to the dark creature. "The world runs on technology now. Not magic." She added, thinking he must have asked the question a number of times. She might as well give him an answer.

The word, technology, was... unusual... He tried saying this word over and over in his mind, but just couldn't get it right, so just set on asking it differently.

"What?" He questioned, shaking his head a little, unable to find a meaning to this word. And well, about the lighter... if truly goes empty, then he still had that other one he snatched away from her. In addition, he found a few more hidden away in the house, maybe her stash of lighters... Those are his now and so will it stay. He will make sure to check her stash again once she leaves to do whatever she does.

Hyano raised a brow, then sighed, trying to think of how to explain this to him.

"The world runs off of inventions. Things that work but don't use magic... like the machines Sauron used to make weapons, only improved through the ages." She tried to explain to him.

So they... developed then... Made new inventions to work without magic... This made him look at the lighter, then in the direction where the black box was... He could slightly understand how the lighter worked... After all he saw many liquids that burned. But... how did that black box work? He was about to ask this, forgetting about his lighter, which now was held in his hand, having gone out. However, he wasn't able to even make a sound, as he shrieked in shock and pushed himself backwards even more when he heard a sudden noise coming from somewhere...

The orange istar was about to continue when she heard her phone go off upstairs.

"Bloody hell, who could that be?" She grumbled then got up, picking up her things as she did and went upstairs to grab the cordless. Now that she thought about it… how was she supposed to explain a phone to the wraith?

Why can't this place be like the tree house? Or Moria? Where there were no things going off on their own... The Nazgul waited for her to leave, then after hearing no sound of battle or anything... just her talking... He started inching out, having dropped the lighter and stood up. Despite having metallic boots, he could sneak quite well without making a sound and peeked out, watching as she... was talking to herself?

Hyano was talking into the small device. It was the museum, informing her of what happened. Like she really didn't know already. However, since she helped fund the museum they felt they were obligated to inform her. She rolled her eyes and sat on the couch, not noticing the wraith yet.

"Yes... yes thank you. I understand... No... No... You know what… Sure. Fine. Send me a copy." She said, getting frustrated. The person on the other line was pushing for her to get a copy of a release paper that explained what happened in detail. She was about ready to bite this little bugger's head off. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I understand..."

As she sat, Ren was able to spot the little device she was holding to her head. He wondered why she held her hand so strangely just a few moments ago. He started inching even closer, watching her, coming from behind, only to shrink back a little when he heard the little thing... talk... And she is talking to it? What is this? He tilted his head to one side then the other, not sure what to think, then sneaking closer, he inspected the device in her hand, running his gaze along the weird shape, then slowly reached out and poked it.

Hyano jumped when he poked the phone and blinked when she looked over her shoulder at him. She had lived alone so long, she was finding it easy to forget that the wraith was even there. She raised a brow at him then giggled, realizing his confusion.

"Alright thank you. I will look for the letter in the mail." She replied then said her goodbyes before finally being allowed to hang up. "This is called a phone. It is similar to a TV, only it just transfers the voice." She explained to him. She made a point of keeping a hold of the phone not wanting to have to replace it if Ren decided he wanted to keep it.

The wraith's curiosity was spiked greatly. He reached out to poke it again, not sure what it was. Her explanation was maybe accurate, so he understood that this thing wasn't talking on its own but... how does it work? Unlike the black box, it didn't have a cord leading from its end to the wall... So how does it work again? Wanting to know he reached out to snatch the phone away from her, intending to look at it more closely.

Hyano held it out of reach of him and looked up at him.

"I have your word you will give it back?" She questioned him with a raised brow. If he thought she was about to just give him her phone, he was mistaken. If he did end up keeping it she still had her cell phone but that didn't mean she had to make this easy on him. Besides, it would be funny to see how he reacted to this. How would his pride react to this?

Ren was taken aback by her request of having it back once he took it and by the sudden action of keeping it away from him. Even he didn't know if he wanted to keep it or not... how was he supposed to tell her now? He can't promise anything for now. He also found it offending that she is keeping him away from an item that clearly belongs to him. He owns this place and is his territory, with that, everything that is in it is under his rule and his possession. Even including her. Hissing a little, he reached out again to grab it from her, this time using a little more speed.

At this, Hyano moved the phone again then with her other hand she grabbed his hand and tugged, using his own force to pull him over the couch and onto the floor, then jumped on him so she was straddling him and giggled as she looked down at him.

"If I was that easy the last time I saw you, then I've very much improved." She said a little teasingly. If he had a face she was sure it would be full of rage right now. However, messing with the wraith felt almost natural. She must have done it quite often before.

Well, not exactly. The wraith was more dumbfounded than angry at first, just staring up at her as he somehow ended up on the floor rather quickly in a flash. Indeed he could not remember this move from her. He watched her for a little while, his gaze soon falling on the phone again. He felt a slight anger coming up but it was drowned by that familiar feeling he always had when they played around. He felt entertained. He knew this game wasn't serious instinctively because she doesn't show aggression and because they never went at it seriously. Knowing exactly what to do, the wraith hissed and suddenly reached forward with both hands, starting his secret attack.

Tickling her sides!

Hyano's eyes widened and she broke out into laughter. She had not been tickled since Gandalf left Middle-Earth. She honestly forgot she was even ticklish.

"Ah! Haha Ren st-stop haha!" She laughed as he tickled her, leaning over him, her head resting on his chest and she held her sides trying to wiggle out of his grip. How could gauntlets so sharp make her laugh so hard?

Oh no! Not going to happen! While she laughed and wiggled about, she clearly forgot about the phone, for which the wraith went in the next moment. Releasing one of her sides with one hand, while the other kept up with its work, Ren reached out and tried to snatch her phone once more, using her distraction to his advantage.

The orange istar may not have been paying attention but she did have a hard grip on the phone. When she felt him grab it she gasped, then tightened her grip again before pinning the phone and his hand over his head and laughed a little as his other hand was still tickling her side.

"Not... going to happen!" She said between laughs and smiled down at him. She had a good idea that he could probably bench her easily but that didn't mean she couldn't try.

While it did look like she pinned him, he had much room to move. And with her stretched out like this, her stance became less firm. The wraith didn't waste time to use this, having noticed this the moment she showed this opening. Pulling one of his legs to the side, he twisted his body, sliding his hand that she pinned outwards, unbalancing her further and simply using this he raised his moved leg, forcing her to lean to the side, where he easily swapped their position, with him sitting on top of her, while he had her pinned, straddling her waist. His hands quickly moved to hold down both hands, with his gaze fixed on the phone in her hand...

Hmm...

Hyano gasped as he pinned her, then blinked before laughing and looking up at him. She wasn't about to just give up though. She tried to struggle against his grip. When this didn't work, she buckled her hips up against him before leaning up quickly and grabbed his hood with her teeth and tugged down. She was careful not to rip it but it was mostly to throw him off balance.

He did lean back a little when he saw her lean in towards him but he wasn't fast enough and his hood was indeed caught in her mouth. Hissing in surprise he struggled to keep his balance, despite being fought against, keeping a firm grip on her arms as well. He was forced to lean forward more but lucky for him it wasn't enough to cause any trouble for him, it was more her hips that caused him to lose his balance to an extent but was ready to try and fight it if she tried anything and kept a good grip on her hands.

The wizard giggled, then let go of him just to buckle against him again and tried to struggle using the hand that wasn't holding the phone trying to pull it out of his grip. She was slender, so she was trying to use that to her advantage in this situation. She was laughing as she played with him. Maybe there was some worth to this annoying wraith after all. He was sure fun to play with.

Having sharp gauntlets and boots really pays off in such situations. It means Ren was less likely to slip in any way with them all being planted to the floor firmly. However, the metallic surface also can backfire, creating a more likely slipping chance once the sharp spikes lose their hold on the ground. He was able to hold her down for quite a while before one of his hands and boots decided to lose their connection to the floor and the metallic surface allowed them to slip slightly, throwing him off-balance, combined with the movement Hyano was making.

Hyano took the chance and pulled her hand out from his grip, then smirked before hitting him with a burst of energy, knocking him off of her, then broke down laughing yet again.

"Wow, you really are a trip." She said, using a bit of slang she had learned over the years, not thinking about how he probably wouldn't understand it. She was having too much fun to really care. She then sat up and smiled at him. "You are a lot more fun than I thought you were." She admitted giving the wraith a little credit.

Ren landed with a thud almost next to her, a little farther away on his back, sliding a few inches before stopping and turning to her once more, sitting up swiftly. He showed little care or interest to the word she said, deciding he had a more interesting target. The phone. She might maybe think this was the end of it, the wraith however had other ideas. Not a few seconds later he was on her again, grabbing for the phone once more, this time with slightly more force than before but still wasn't aggressive, continuing their little tussle.

Hyano yelped and fell back as he got on her yet again. This time she put her feet up to block him and tried to push him back.

"Hell no!" she yelled with a laugh. "You can keep trying but you aren't getting this bloody phone, you stubborn man!" She added with a grin as she did what she could to keep the phone out of his reach. He was still a deal taller than she was, so she really had to work to keep the object out of his reach.

Ren did everything in his power to reach the device but knew that from this angle he won't be able to truly claim it with her pushing him away like this. So, leaning to the side, he slowly started to fall towards the ground next to her, letting her leg still hold them apart but at the same time he was leaning forward, actually inching closer to the phone. In the end he fell beside her but much closer to the target he sought and started pushing her downward, watching as the phone came so much closer.

"Eek! Crud. Crud. Crud!" Hyano chanted, seeing she was losing. She thought quickly, then realized something. He wasn't holding her down right now. She smirked, then took her feet off of him, then quickly tried to stand and make a quick run for it. If she was lucky she could run faster than he could think. However, she was never usually that lucky so she expected not to get that far.

While he was not holding her down indeed, Ren was still holding onto her, seeing he was pressing her downwards. Noticing her sudden movements, first his hand slipped from her but eventually tried to grab her in a much better grip. He did everything in his power to not let her get away from him, continuing to push her forward a little, until he was able to grab one of her feet and using it he proceeded to grab her higher, until he latched onto her waist with both hands, pulling her backwards by it.

The young woman yelped as he grabbed her and blushed. Why she noticed now how close they were she did not know. Maybe she was just too riled in the fun to notice. However, now that she did she was blushing. That didn't stop her with trying to struggle out of the grip of the man who was holding her to him rather tightly.

"Damn it!" She said and pouted a little when she realized she wasn't going to be able to get out of his grip on strength alone and using magic was just plain cheating.

Of course, the Nazgul did not stop there, seeing his desired item wasn't yet in reaching range and did not pay any heed to how close they were, being not bothered by it. So, he started pulling her back more, grasping her higher and higher with both hands, first her waist, stomach, chest and finally her shoulders, where he reached out with a hand and grasped hers which held the phone, proceeding to wrestle with her this way, wanting the device from her.

Hyano turned a deep shade of red as he grabbed over her body. It grew even worse when he grabbed her chest.

"Gah Pervert!" She cried out and then elbowed him in the gut with her free arm, trying to do what she could to pull her other hand out of his grip. She had not seen this coming. Not long ago he had done everything to keep away from her, so all this was a little nerve-racking.

Ren of course didn't notice any of this, making the situation far more difficult for the wizard. He felt the pressure and the hit coming from his stomach, knowing she is trying to get him to let go this way but all he did was hiss at her almost mockingly. He was a Nazgul. Pain was something that is foreign to him and simply doesn't exist. Finally, he climbed all over her and sat on her shoulders on the ground, now letting go from her body, he reached out with his other hand as well towards hers and prying her fist open, he quickly snatched the phone away from her.

"Damn it!" Hyano cried out as she lost her grip on the device, then pouted up at him for a moment, a little frustrated she had lost the game... However her annoyance soon turned into laughter as she realized how funny this whole situation had been. She smiled up at him. "Fine fine. You can have the damn phone you hooded prick." She said calmly, giving him this victory... For now anyway.

As soon as she admitted defeat, the wraith let her go and rolled to the side onto his back next to her to look at his prize more closely. It didn't seem to be that interesting at the moment... It had small buttons on it and a screen, had a weird shape... But this doesn't help him with his question of how it works... So, thinking it might help him further, the Nazgul proceeded to poke the buttons with a metal-covered finger, engulfed in his little research, tilting his head to the side as it made various small noises with each poke.

Hyano watched him for a moment, mostly making sure he didn't make any calls she really didn't want to pay for. If he accidently actually called someone she could write it off as a prank call but if he called another country… well… that was a little much. She ended up moving, so her head rested on his shoulder. She didn't say anything, just cuddled up to him instinctively as if it was natural while he played with the device. She was curious how long it would take him to either lose interest or get annoyed with it, since it seemed he wasn't getting very far in figuring out how it worked.

Just as she predicted, Ren's interest and patience was very hard to keep and rarely could stay at one place as well, excluding meditation. He didn't mind however that she cuddled up to him, he was used to it from the past, remembering the times when she would even fall asleep on his lap. Thinking that poking these little buttons won't help him further, he started flipping it around in his grip... until he found that part where the two halves were put together, making the whole phone. Maybe... he can find out more by pulling it apart and looking what is inside?

Thinking of this as a good idea, the wraith proceeded to try and separate the halves.

When Hyano realized what he was about to do, she quickly moved to stop him but it was too late as the phone made a cracking noise, then came apart. She facepalmed at this then sighed, making a mental note to tell everyone to just call her cell phone from now on and to leave the thing on vibrate so Ren was less likely to find it. She would have to live without a cell phone for awhile.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a short as hell attention span?" She asked in a whisper, deciding that she did not want to disturb his… concentration.

"Yes." The Nazgul replied curtly, tilting his head to the side at the many metallic parts and started poking them, noticing how some parts were loose, while others were very firmly attached to the outer shell. "You." He could remember many times she complained about it in Moria and in the tree house but he didn't take them as serious complaints. This is how he was and he won't and can't change at all. Seems like she will have to adjust. Again. He held one half slightly higher and after shaking it a little, some of the loose parts fell out, letting him inspect them closer. Well, this isn't helping him much... No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get behind how it worked. At least he felt slightly safer, knowing there are no... tiny people hidden in it. Uvatha surely would be able to figure this one out in just a few days, seeing that Nazgul had a knack for inventions. He many times visited him and saw him working on some kind of machines, catapults, armor designs, he even made something like a… giant bow with enormous arrows… His work was interesting, even if he understood little of it. Giving up in about two minutes of 'researching', he simply put the phone down or at least what was left of it and turned his skeptic, yet curious gaze towards the black box...

Hyano noticed what he was looking at and groaned.

"Seriously?" She grumbled, then sighed and pointed to the basement door. "There is a TV downstairs. You can do whatever you want to it. I kind of need this one, though." She said. Both were the same but since she didn't spend much time down there she didn't need the TV. However, she did think it a very big waste of a very good TV. He would just have to deal with it for now.

There is another black box? There where he spent the night? Ren didn't notice it... But no matter. That one can stay as emergency black box if he wanted to see what people are doing there. He left the pieces of the phone lying on the floor before he took course towards the black box here in this room. But instead of fumbling with it, he decided to see what is going on... before he pulls it apart... Locating the remote where he left it last night, he reached out and poked the button that should make it come to life and watched as the screen flashed, revealing a natural documentary about animals in a rainforest. He tilted his head to the side at the sharp noise those birds made and hissing at this, finding it uncomfortable, he slid the remote closer and started to switch the channels, until he came upon another violent movie. He hovered a metal-covered finger above the button, not sure if he was in the mood for it but decided to just switch away and started his endless search for something interesting to watch.

Hyano got up from the floor and cracked her neck. She thought about her next action moment, then leaned over his shoulder and put in a channel. Some cartoons came on the screen. She was curious to see how he would react to the show that looked like it was based on real things yet didn't look real at all. Besides, he had a childish personality so this might keep his attention more than any of the real things that he had been going through so far.

Ren noticed her and turned his hooded head slightly towards her but soon followed her hand as she reached over and pushed the channels until they came to a... strange... thing. All he could do was stare at it first, tilting his head this way and that, not exactly sure what is going on. He didn't know... humans developed like this... or... are these created... or... magic? It looked strange, as if his mind was trying to accept it but yet couldn't. It looked not real, yet interesting. They moved ways a human couldn't and survived falls a human would die from. This certainly amused him.

"What's this?" He asked, pointing towards the unusual forms in the black box. He was unsure what to think of them. It looked amusing but his mind was confused.

Hyano laughed a little, then put a finger up asking him to wait a second. She walked away and was gone for a few minutes. When she came back she had a flip book, then sat beside him and showed him a picture of a cartoon version of herself sitting and reading. Then she started flipping the book. A cartoon version of himself popped up behind her and tapped her shoulder, then while she was looking the other way he snatched her book and took off running.

Now, this was interesting... The wraith watched as the animation played out, and at the end, he took the flip book from her and looked at it closer. When the pages didn't move, all he saw was a drawing but when he flipped the page to the next, it was another drawing. So, was this all drawn? How did she do it again? He held the book the same way as she did and flipped a few pages fast the same way as she did, getting the same results as Hyano showed. His curiosity spiked, he kept flipping them back and forth.

Hyano smiled at this, then got another flip book and a pencil. She sat beside the wraith and started to draw allowing him to see how it was done. She started with one drawing, then made another and another, each one changing just a little bit. It was a picture of a horse that was running.

Ren watched her curiously as he saw she took another book like this but this time empty. Tilting his head to the side, he disregarded the one he was holding and watched as she drew. Well, for a while. After she was done with the second horse, he lost interest and simply went back to the one he had in his hands, flipping it again and again.

When the wizard finished, she looked the doodles over once then yet again handed it to him so he could flip it like he had the last one.

The Nazgul took the offered book eagerly once she was done and like last time, he flipped the pages the same way as she showed, watching as from the still drawing of a horse, it seemed to come to life and run. So, this is how it was done. She is drawing the images... but... why show it to him now? Involuntarily his gaze returned to the strange cartoon and watched it a little, his mind slowly recognizing these figures as drawings, just like this horse. So, where they created this way than through magic? This was unusual.

"Strange mortals." He finally commented, not understanding why they would create drawings of people when they could use real people to do things...

"Eh, kind of. Cartoons can do things people can't. Like get hit with hard objects and not get hurt. It makes for good fun." Hyano said then pointed to the TV right as some TNT blew up. The cartoon character was left completely charred but still alive, then in the next scene it was like it never happened at all. This was a slightly older cartoon but she always liked those better. Comedy back then was just silly and needed less extra flash to get the job done. However Ren wouldn't know the difference because he never saw the change of time. As far as he knew, this was a new cartoon in itself.

The Ringwraith looked when she pointed and watched as the screen flashed, indicating an explosion, seeing the smoke and the small flames that remained... and indeed. The person seemed to survive and move on. Not even a limp or a scratch could be seen on him. The wraith couldn't help but shake his head, finding this unfair as it was created. If damage was dealt then it should be received fairly if the person isn't a wraith... or someone who can counter it. This human however was unable to, yet he came out undamaged.

"This is stupid." He said, shrugging. "If he got hit, then he should be hurt. It is just fair." He was content seeing damage dealt and seeing people suffer with what they got, however this cartoon didn't give him this amusement; instead he got more and more frustrated with it. While he liked to see people get hit or ripped apart, the cartoon leaves out one single detail that it lacked. The clear sign of pain, suffering and the blood. This is what dealing damage and hitting someone is for. So, Ren failed to see the point of this all nonsense going on in the cartoon. Having enough of this, he poked the button again and switched the channels.

Hyano thought for a moment about this. So he wanted to see deadly and bloody cartoons, huh? Sad part was… she could give him that.

"Hold on a second." She said, then reached over, changing the channel yet again and turning on Netflix. She then went through a few things before going to a rather happy go lucky show called 'Happy Tree Friends'. "Here, you will like this one then." She said then got up and went to the kitchen to get herself something to drink and maybe some candy if she had any. She knew all about the gore and guts that came with this show, though, Ren was likely to get confused by what the creatures are he would have no problem with the fact that all the characters are dead by the end of each episode.

Ren was indeed confused at first, noting the... bright colored, smiling, big-eyed... somethings. All he could do was stare at the colorful bunch, unable to believe that Hyano would show him this cartoon. The one before wasn't this... all too happy, so, reached out and slid the remote close to his sitting form and extended a finger to poke the button again but... he stopped when the first death happened. His finger hovered above the button and watched as one of the... long-eared smiling thing suddenly got run over by... something... some kind of... metallic object and there was blood, screaming, gurgling... Surprising... He instantly removed his hand from the remote and kept watching. Now this was his cartoon! He found it amusing how realistic they went through the whole thing. Death was very well portrayed. The little cute things didn't even know what is coming to them. The show however was rather short and started to feel disappointed but soon there was a new one starting.

The wraith was glued to the couch and watched the animals getting slaughtered all over again.

When Hyano came back with a bowl of chocolate covered pomegranates and a bottle of water, she was not surprised to see the wraith stuck to the show she had picked. She found the show a little much for her taste but considering it wasn't real she could live with it.

"So. What do you think of cartoons now?" She asked with a smirk as she popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth right as another one of the furry creatures died yet again. She cringed a little. It was kind of hard to eat while watching this show.

Ren didn't notice her as she arrived around him, just watched as one of the animals lost one of their limbs and blood flowed out of the wound, relishing in its painful screams. Only then did he notice the wizard when she sat down next to him. He sniffed the air at the strange scent that she brought and turned his hooded head for a few seconds to gaze at the food she brought in before shaking his head, disgusted by it and resumed watching the show.

"This is good. The other is useless. Not all of them are good." He said, answering her question, then inched away a little to the side at the stench of that thing she was eating... Why is it that any food she eats has to be this disgusting...?

The orange wizard noticed his dislike for what she is eating and only rolled her eyes at this. If he actually ate she might think of making something he might like but he didn't so she didn't care.

"Everyone has different tastes, I guess." She said, talking about the show this time, then jumped when she heard a bang upstairs. "The hell?" She listened a minute and heard the sound of little children talking. "Must have snuck in through a window." She mumbled, then turned the TV off. She then realized something and smirked. "Hey, want to help scare some kids?" She asked him as she got up to turn off the lights and pull the blinds.

Ren turned his hood sharply at the noise as well, looking upwards quickly and staying dead silent, trying to listen what is going on. However, his gaze soon shifted over to her as she shut down the black box, just as one of those things would have died... it looked so promising... he was about to complain and already started pointing at the screen when she told him about scaring someone. He tilted his head to the side. Kids? Is this some kind of human? Or does she give a new word to something he knows already? It must be it… So, this was this loud noise? People are around? What? He hissed at this and got off the couch hearing the noise of talking, looking towards the stairs where it came from. In an instant the wraith felt a little more alive when the wizard made sure the room was dark and felt his hunting instincts push him, making him yearn for the fear he could cause. This was natural for him to go into 'hunting mode' once the opportunity presented itself. The Nazgul didn't reply to her but his actions spoke louder. He was more than ready to make a few people scream if he could. For now, he stalked towards the stairs but didn't go up. He will wait for the prey to reach them first. Then... they will live through hell, he will make sure of that.

Hyano smiled at her friend, then walked to the kitchen so she would be out the way. If this turned out well she might be able to use Ren instead of the spell she used when children got in her house when she wasn't home. That would save her quite a bit of magic. Any spell she could avoid using was worth it. It would make her time in this realm last all that much longer. She only had so long and she knew that but she only quickened that time by using spell after spell. Like Gandalf, she wasn't eager to leave Middle-Earth. This had been her lifelong home... She was honestly scared to leave if she was honest with herself, however she was eager to see the old wizard and the now grown tree herder she had once cared for. The orange istar smiled at the thought, then waved a hand unlocking the front door so the children could easily run out. Because something told her that they will have a reason to do so soon…

Two children came down the stairs. A boy and a girl, barely the age of eight. They were clearly siblings. The girl was younger by a few years as it seemed. It was obvious which one was in charge of their little adventure as the oldest was in front, dictating the pace of their progress. The smaller of the two however was scared already, her body was shaking and her steps were slow and careful, only speeding up to catch up with her big brother with a gasp when he advanced too much and she was afraid he would leave her behind.

"Danny, can't we just leave? You know mom is going to be so mad." She whined to her older brother.

The older of the two had been dared to go into the house by his friends who were waiting outside eagerly and since he knew she would run and tell their mom if he left her behind, he brought her along but she had yet to stop complaining.

The wrath was pressed against the wall next to the stairs, so he won't be seen at first. Because of his nature and dark magic, he was darker than the darkness in the room, making him slightly visible yet one could mistake him for a furniture at the moment or a statue... or they won't see him at all, seeing they weren't looking to the wall next to the stairs. He listened to their steps and felt their presence as they came down and reached the same room he was in. As soon as they left the stairs, the wraith stalked after them. Despite having metallic boots, he moved easily and silently, having learned long ago how to sneak in them, almost gliding after them like the wraith he was. He smelled their scent and felt the fear of the smallest human, instantly growing hungry.

So... let the show begin and feast upon their terror.

The first thing Ren did was strengthen his aura, spreading that deadly darkness which make shivers run down their spines and created fear, making them panic. But before they could turn, he let out a hiss. First, it was faint, as if coming from silence itself, before growing in volume, reaching the sound of a sharp hiss that an angry snake would utter when threatened. And once they turned, he reached out towards them. His silhouette was visible, letting them see his dark form, and the sharp fingers that were stretched out towards them.

Hyano listened as the children both screamed their heads off. The boy was the first one out the door. The little girl however was frozen at first, shaking with fear before screaming and turning tail, running for the door as well but she wasn't nearly as fast as her older brother. The wizard listened to what was happening, smiling a little. Ren was having far too much fun but so far it sounded safe enough. Scary as hell but safe, which was really all it needed to be.

The wraith of course wasn't yet done. At least he didn't want to. He did start to chase them but had to stop some distance away, seeing they ran out of the door. He didn't really want to be stopped. He relished in their screams, their terror... the delicious fear... now all he needed was their blood. His hunting instinct was awakened and darkness within his form grew... but had to be pushed down the moment they went out of his sight. No... He couldn't chase them further. Better not even bring his hopes up. For one, the way she changed, Hyano surely would stop him anyway. Sounding one more sharp hiss, the wraith turned from the door after staring after the offspring of humans and started for the couch to resume watching that show. He really needed to see blood now... all that lacked was the scent but oh well. Tomorrow is a day too. Maybe for many it would sound strange to wish this but he dearly wanted a thief to come around. At least there would be no excuse and could kill without mercy.

Hyano walked in and looked around. She was a little surprised no one got hurt or worse. Something in her knew it was in Ren's nature to kill those he instilled fear into. She walked up to him.

"If you like, you can scare the kids who come around. Just don't kill them. If kids start turning up missing or any of them tell their parents about them getting hurt here, that will draw a lot of attention rather quickly." She advised as she sat beside him.

The wraith watched the show, sitting on the couch, starting to find amusement in this cartoon and only listened to her advice halfway but knew this rule already. He knew she would say it. Not to kill these... dwarves. Or children as she called them. He sighed long and loud, indicating while he didn't like this rule, he did acknowledge it.

"Also, I was planning on going out later tonight. If you don't plan on changing your clothes you are going to have to stay behind." The wizard added as she cringed when a character lost its head in the show.

Ren's hooded head turned towards her instantly after she uttered her wish to leave. So... she wants to leave and walk about... He was mainly used to her being only around him or in a place he knew she won't harm herself... But he didn't know this world...

"Where are you going?" He asked, wanting to know, after all he thought he had the right to ask, however at the mention of him having to change his cloak for something else... that was out of question. "My clothes stay." The wraith stated, stubbornly declining even the mention of him changing his attire. He wanted to look terrifying... Of course he didn't want to wear those... neutral clothes.

Hyano noted that he seemed alright with the rule even if reluctantly and relaxed. Good. That worked out in her favor. However when he said he would not change she only rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to the mall. It's kind of like a giant market place, only with a lot more to do and if you don't change you can stay here. It may be nighttime when I go out but trust me... you won't get far the way you are." She told him bluntly, then heard a scream and looked towards the screen only to shudder. She really wished Ren had a liking for other things than killing and torture. Well, he does like lighters. She would have to remember to pick him up one from the lighter shop in the mall. She had never thought about it but lighters are actually good collector's items. She might as well see how many different ones she could find since he was basically holding onto them for her.

The wraith only shook his head, clearly not in the mood or willing to do all this.

"Too many mortals mean too much noise, too much light and disgusting stenches. No. I will stay home." Ren replied, leaning back in the couch and crossed his arms over his chest. He might sometimes sneak out, just around his territory to watch the full moon for a few hours but he wasn't too keen to leave his safe lair. The humans are filthy and too loud for his liking. Marketplaces he heard attracted too many mortals. And he hated mortal crowds anyway. In addition, he will never change his clothes. Never! He felt comfortable the way he was. Dismissing the whole topic entirely, he got comfortable and resumed watching the cartoon.

Hyano rolled her eyes. Oh well. As long as he stayed put she was alright with him wearing whatever he wanted as long as he stayed out of sight. When one lives in a small town everyone has a habit of being a little nosy about everyone else and news travels fast. She did not want to go to the mall and all of a sudden overhear people talking about the black thing in her backyard.

"Did you even look at the clothes I got you?" She asked him, pointing at the bag that had somehow been moved to the floor since the previous day.

Ren barely heard her, his attention was on the screaming animal as it was slowly losing its guts. Very slowly... The blood and clear suffering was entertaining for him. When he finally paid attention to her, he turned his hooded head towards her first, as if asking back what she said but eventually his mind gave him the stored information and sharply turned his gaze towards the bag that was on the floor. He only stared at it for five seconds before shrugging and simply returning to watch the show.

"No." Was his curt reply, and it was obvious he didn't care about it either...

Hyano rolled her eyes.

"Of course you haven't." She said a little annoyed, then got up and walked over to the bag and held it out to him. Inside, the clothes were all black. She had not gotten him shoes because she thought the ones he had already were fine. She got him a zip up black hoodie, assuming that was the closest thing to what he already wore. Then there was a black shirt as well with a very detailed skull design on it and black jeans to go with it. She may want him to change his clothes but she wasn't stupid enough to make him change his style altogether.

While Ren did not want to change his clothing at all, no matter how she shoves these things under his hood, that didn't mean he cannot satisfy his curiosity and actually look what she got for him. After a small hesitation and thinking, Ren reached out and took the bag, setting it beside him and started picking at the clothes. The wraith instantly didn't like them. They didn't seem comfortable at all, seemed to be too tight, and likely would stick to his body... And while he can't truly feel pain or pleasure, he felt the things around him and knew if something would stick to him or be too tight. He hated it enough when his cloak gets wet... then it would weight him down and stick to him like it was glued... Now that is uncomfortable. He cared little for the skull but did look at it; this still didn't change his mind about the style itself. The Nazgul, once he finished looking at it all, simply put the clothes down and slid it away from him towards the other end of the couch with a hiss as if disgusted by them, signaling he still won't wear them and then returned to the cartoon again.

Hyano giggled lightly. Well, at least he looked at the clothes. She took the bag and put it back beside the couch, then walked away putting a few things away before coming back and sitting beside the wraith.

"... So, are you still angry with me?" She asked him, ignoring the TV altogether. She decided she might as well change the subject. As much as she didn't like this one, it helped her learn things about the man beside her.

The wraith however didn't ignore the black box but was very much engulfed in it. Her question would have gone unanswered though, if she didn't keep looking at him, so alerting him of being watched. But his senses warned him of the stare and turned his head towards her, staying silent for a few seconds, as if thinking about it. Was he angry? In general or right now? Which one did she mean? At the moment he wasn't angry for sure but in general he was still offended and distrusting for the most part.

"Yes." He decided for this answer, then turned back to the cartoon. Right now the only reason why he isn't feeling angry was because this black box is entertaining him enough, taking off his mind of his inner turmoil.

Hyano sighed and leaned back, first staring at the ceiling in silence for a moment, thinking about this all before turning to look at him.

"I'm not sure I understand why... I mean I kind of get why you were mad about the well... the toy things... but I don't really get what else there is to it." She said honestly and looked over at him, trying to pull out more memories of him but she seemed to have reached a mental block at this point. It was beyond frustrating. She knew she knows this thing she was sitting beside but no matter what, she couldn't get her mind to push more actual memories or feelings about the black clad creature out.

The wraith shook his head swiftly. She was still only remembering this from all the reasons he listed?

"You have a short memory." Those... things... are out of their way and he basically forgot about them already. That is highly secondary if not taken care of by now. Not like he can go back in time by being angry about it and fix it... Being angry won't change anything about this. What still kept his grudge was that she clearly remembers him and yet she didn't even seem to try to get to him. She basically started a new life... Forgetting about her mate, leaving him to his chains... How she told him the white wizard left a while ago… and his mind failed to find the reason why she didn't use this opportunity and didn't free him instead. However, apparently she forgot about this reason as soon as he said them. So, it was pointless to argue about it in his mind. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated and angry he became, so set to just ignore it and enjoy what he could of this cartoon.

"You said I should have come for you. The fact is I can't go for anyone I can't remember. If that is what you hold a grudge over, then you really don't get what happened at all." Hyano said a little annoyed. "My memory was blocked. It's like... someone building a dam on a river. The water is still there but it is no longer flowing anymore. When I saw you again the dam cracked... but... but that's really it. I don't remember very much at all. I know I feel comfortable around you but I'm not sure why. So far you have been little less than a prick. You claimed my things, mock me every chance you get and continue to act like I'm some horrible person. Last I checked you said I was your mate... yet you treat me horribly. Honestly, you really suck at this." She told him, then moved to get up angrily, having had enough of this confusing situation he always gets her into.

Ren simply lacked the understanding to such amnesia, which didn't firmly hold onto a person. He knew two things. You remember or you don't remember at all and his mind refused to think otherwise. There is no such thing that you remember slowly again... He never did, this is all he knew. What he forgot stays forgotten and nothing will trigger its return. This is mostly why his kind hated, despised forgetful people, or in this case he behaved intolerant towards Hyano and her magic-inducted amnesia. But this is something he couldn't explain, so he did seem to make her feel unwelcome around him for seemingly no reason.

"If you were not my mate..." He started, and turned his hooded head towards her, staring from within the darkness. "... you would be dead." With this, he simply went back to his black box and kept watching, disregarding her presence, feeling anger once more from this conversation. This should be enough indication that he is behaving 'better' with her than otherwise he would. And today seemed to start good for a change... Oh well...

The comment made the orange wizard freeze in her position, and stay that way for a few seconds, trying to push these words as imagination, but she had to realize that he indeed said them. She gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes, gripping her fists.

"And if you weren't mine... this probably wouldn't have happened in the first place." She bit back, then moved to walk away from him. She wasn't sure what had happened to cause all this. She didn't know about the battle or how it all started and ended. However she did feel if he had actually cared about her, this likely wouldn't have happened in the first place. A mate was supposed to protect you right? Then why had she spent so long alone? Why was she made to forget him? Because he had failed. He might be giving her hell because she forgot but he failed in keeping them together in the first place.

Both were stubborn that is for sure, however unlike Hyano, who had a good heart and was cheerful, also sought contact with people she cared about, Ren in the other hand wasn't tied to emotions and didn't seek company, thus could stay alone for a whole lifetime if needed. The five thousand years he spent chained up didn't hurt his already dark personality or his mental health. He was ready to keep himself away from her until he felt better about their connection but this could also last a while. He didn't feel like he needed to explain to her anything but she had a lot to say. In his mind that is. He already was thinking about killing her, seeing they don't get anywhere with all this... Might as well get rid of a problem... the rest about surviving this world... well… He will think about that... But for now, he will watch these creatures murder each other in the cartoon.

Hyano went to her room. She was annoyed and angry with the wraith. He didn't understand and that made this all the worse and no matter how she tried to explain it to him, he didn't seem to get it through that nonexistent thick skull of his. She sighed, rubbing her temples, then decided to take a shower. Maybe the steam would help her relax. She wondered for a moment how long it would take Ren to watch all the episodes. She seriously doubted he would watch any of them more than once. That would be far too boring for the wraith.

If he could, Ren would laugh at all the scenes the black box showed him with these creatures. He found entertainment and amusement in others' suffering and nothing will change this part of him. He didn't change since ten thousand years... He won't change now either. He didn't know who drew this but it is like it was made just specially for him.

The woman took a long shower enjoying the warm water on her skin. It very much calmed her nerves though her mind still kept going back to the wraith. She continued to keep thinking, her mind trying harder and harder to get the information that was blocked, that is until her head started to pound. She clutched her head hard, then blinked as she saw blood being washed away on the tub floor. She realized what had happened too late as she blacked out and fell with a thud.

The Nazgul just started to forget about everything that happened and got comfortable on the cough again when he heard the thud coming from a room to the side. He stopped watching the turned towards it, staring at the door. He could scarcely remember Hyano going in there. Perhaps she dropped something. He heard the water going, so could be cleansing herself. According to the many bottles he found she uses a lot of things when doing so. Some stink, others are bearable. However, what his senses picked up was other than that. Blood. He sniffed the air audibly; at first feeling his mind yearn and want more of it after the unsuccessful and blocked hunt not long ago, feeling its sweet scent flow through him. This made him stand and follow it.

Slowly, the door to the bathroom creaked open and the Nazgul peeked inside, wanting to know the source. It was Hyano... and she didnt seem to be that alright like before... She was collapsed, enclosed by the water that poured from above, and…

She wasn't moving.

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**Hope you liked the chapter.**

**Well, as you can notice, the chapters returned to their slightly short version of 11k words, because we would like to RP a few more scenes to this and a few more chapters because we realized it seems to be a tiny little short compared to the book before. **

**But the updates will be undisturbed aside from them happening now every two weeks.**

_CA Productions_


	3. The Other One

**Avp: Welcome to the new chapter of the sequel!**

**Cub: *Head down on her desk snoring loudly.***

**Ren: *Walks in and kicks Cub off her chair.* Wake up meat sack you have been slacking!**

**Cub: Nyaaaa! Give me a break! Better yet, tell Hyano to stop playing her damn flute so loud at night!**

**Hyano: Hey! My music is calming, thank you very much!**

**Cub: Not at 1 in the morning, it isn't! You know what… give me that thing! *Runs after Hyano***

**Hyano: Gah!**

**Avp: Huh… I rather liked the music actually. Oh well. Thank you and enjoy!**

**We would like to warn our dear Readers, that this chapter will contain gore, so if you are sensitive to this, please let us know and we will send you a modified chapter in a PM which is cleaned of them.**

_CA Productions_

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Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Chapter 3 - The Other One

Hyano was lying within the shower basin, motionlessly, an arm sticking out onto the floor, not showing any signs of life, while in the mean time the dark creature who began to distrust her after so many years was standing at the door, observing her.

Tilting his head to the side, Ren couldn't help but have the brief thought of having his problem taken care of but considering he wasn't yet done thinking about their situation, he will look what seems to be wrong. He walked up to her, almost slipping on the floor three times, cursing in Black Speech at the wet floor, before finally reaching the naked wizard. Seeing the water, he really didn't want to get all too wet, so reached inside and pulled her from under it, successfully slipping this time and falling on his behind, luckily however he didn't drop the female. Now... time to see what seems to be wrong... She was obviously bleeding... but from where...? She was out cold almost like when she would pass out from lack of sunlight, however in this case she was bleeding from the nose.

Any normal human might have to worry about permanent brain damage, thanks to what had happened but luckily for Hyano, the spell on her shoulder wasn't about to let that happen. It forced her to stay alive and while the spell that kept her memories blocked did cause her to pass out, the spell keeping her alive protected her brain from anything serious.

The Nazgul didn't know what to do. She was bleeding from her nose as it was... not so clear. The amount of it basically flowed onto her face, her mouth, her hair... Could come anywhere, be it not for it still flowing visibly. Ren positioned her head on his lap as he looked at her nose, not sure what to do with it... What made his thinking worse was that the scent of blood was making him dizzy as well, taking his concentration somewhat. He couldn't truly feel cold or warm, so didn't know that she was cold, and instead did as he knew worked so far... He started patting her cheek, trying to wake her up.

Otherwise, he was at a loss what to do.

The wizard didn't wake at first. When she finally came to, she groaned then blinked and looked up at him still dazed, feeling light-headed and numb.

"Ugh... Ren? Wh-what happened?" She asked a little confused, her head throbbing like crazy. "Ugh I feel like I have the hangover from hell." She grumbled as she held her head and let her eyes drift from the wraith to the room around her, not yet realizing she was completely naked with her head resting on the male's lap.

"You apparently are bleeding." He said, almost as if it should be as clear as day. Well, from where he looked it was. Not only her face and her hair were smeared with the delicious yet disgusting liquid but also his cloak was partly affected by it. However, if she realized this or not, only the next few seconds will tell. "I heard a thud. You collapsed... and you are bleeding..." Ren pointed it out once more, raising a gauntleted hand which had blood stains on it. But mostly he was repeating it because his mind was relishing in its scent and the wraith was focused on it.

Hyano groaned, then giggled lightly despite the situation.

"That is what I get for thinking so hard." She joked through the pain and looked up at him. "Thanks for pulling me out from under the water..." She added, then noticed his interest in her blood. "It is an effect of me trying to beat the spell. The spell won." She told him, then tried to get up only to gasp and fall back laying her head back on his lap. She noticed she was on his lap now and blushed a little. He was oddly comfortable despite him being rather cold. Or… was this natural for her? The coldness was familiar…

This was a new interesting detail Ren didn't know about mortals.

"Thinking hard can cause bleeding?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as he stared down at her. Mortals are truly fragile and so weak... Thinking is something easy. The wraith released his hold on her head long ago and watched as she tried to get up, only to fall back. Did this bleeding weaken her so much? Yes. Mortals are truly weak.

"Heh... no. It's a joke..." Hyano said, then finally realized her full situation and put an arm over her chest, turning a rather deep shade of red. "Um... I was trying hard to remember you... Anything really... but the spell wasn't going to have it so... Yeah, that's what caused it." She explained nervously before pointing to a towel. "Can you get that for me, please?" She asked him really wanting to cover up. It was obvious she didn't feel comfortable being naked in front of him like she had before many thousand years ago.

There it is again! The heat on her cheek increased clearly, and the blood rushed to her face, giving it a red color. Ren never understood why the living did that but it was amusing to watch them go different shades, depending on the situation. What did he see so far? Red... blue... white... normal… He wondered what other colors they can turn. He tilted his head to the side as she explained, still skeptic and stubbornly refusing to believe her talk about this spell, then followed the direction with his gaze where she pointed. A fabric. For what? But no matter. Slowly, he raised her head from his lap and slid away from her, releasing his hold on her before standing and walking over to the piece of cloth she wanted, their argument from before clearly forgotten. However even this little distance seemed like a whole new adventure.

Metallic boots and wet floor don't mix.

This is something he noticed when he came in... and now he was just reminded why. He managed to almost slip a total of six times in that few feet of distance he walked and finally reached her with the cloth she requested and held it out, simply sitting down. He would have fallen down anyway.

Hyano couldn't help a giggle as he slipped around on the floor. While he got the towel she forced herself to sit up doing what she could to cover her body until he came back with the cloth.

"Your face..." The wraith started, pointing at it. "Your face is heating up again. Why?" Well, time to ask this question and satisfy his hunger for the explanation.

By that point the wizard's face had calmed a little but it turned red all over again when he called her on the fact she was blushing. She quickly took the towel and used it to cover herself, grateful for her small size for once because it meant most towels covered her rather well.

"I... it means I'm embarrassed or flustered... Um... It most commonly happens when a guy catches a girl naked... Like you did." She explained to him, trying to keep her words in terms she hoped he could understand.

"Naked?" Ren asked, not exactly sure why someone would be embarrassed for being naked. Being a wraith had this advantage -or disadvantage- for not caring about nudity, he didn't see the difference between seeing her clothed or naked. He simply lacked the modesty and the desire that might come from seeing someone without clothes. "I don't understand." He admitted, watching her. "What is the difference?" All he knew was that he was probably naked beneath his cloak; unlike many believe that they still have some kind of clothing beneath that they wore when they were supposedly mortals themselves. He was many times forced to take them off for the favor of becoming invisible; a ghostly form to hunt with his brethren but this also caused them to lose their form. This is why he wasn't too keen to take them off in the first place. But he doubted she had such problems.

Hyano sighed and thought a moment about what to say. When she thought about it, Ren technically had a form of Asperger's syndrome. Though, it was created by the powers of Sauron, it did fit the role rather well. She had dealt with some humans who had the disease and learned that they thought in a factual manner rather than emotional. Though, the major difference was that those with the disease still had emotions and they just didn't process or use them very well. She considered as she remembered the times Ren seemed to feel emotions. She shook her head, getting herself out of her own thoughts and getting back to his question.

"I guess... the difference is there is nothing covering me anymore. You can see every detail of my body and in a way there is nothing to stop you from judging it... Also as a male... Normally when a male sees a naked female if the female is attractive… they might feel desire towards their body and well... that helps in causing mating." She explained to him, trying to keep it in factual terms.

At the first part the wraith did not understand... That nothing is covering her makes no difference for him and why is it a problem if he sees her details? Not like he can truly see them. Auras and souls tend to be rather prominent and take away details many times from his view if he is watching someone. And she is embarrassed because he can judge her? Well, he already judged her when they met again, regretting his decision of taking her as his mate.

"I don't care about bodies. I care about what you can do and what you do." He is not judging bodies. Not like he had any comparison. Attractiveness doesn't come from a body, at least not for him. And 'attractiveness' also doesn't mean the same as it might to her. For him, it means usefulness, power, loyalty and desired abilities. It makes a Nazgul turn his head and consider them worth his time. It doesn't matter if that someone is 'ugly' in mortal terms. The bit about mortal men being attracted to naked females is just… plain hilarious, though. He couldn't help but chuckle at that part. This actually could come in handy if he decides to go off hunting. Males will be easy to gather if he has something like a picture of it or something. Or... is this really so easy? He wondered if mortal men are so much driven by instincts. But this also made him wonder about something.

"And what about females? Do they get attracted if they see an unclothed male?" He wasn't asking because he wanted to 'lure' her to him, seeing he lacked a naked male body that is visible, he just wanted to know if he can use the same hunting technique with females as well.

Hyano blushed and looked away.

"Well... yes. You have to remember that technically we are all animals... Though you did lose that part of yourself. The animal instinct to mate works in both males and females so yes... seeing a naked male does cause those feelings." She explained to him, turning redder with every second. It was hard to talk about these things and not get flustered. She couldn't lie. She herself had thought about what Ren might look like if he had a body but those thoughts were naturally kept in a box since they were useless. "I doubt this information will do you much good, Ren. You don't have a body to get anyone's attention with." She pointed out, not sure why he wanted to know.

"Ah no. It helped me greatly. Maybe not the way you might think." The Nazgul tried reassuring her in his own way, seeing she got the wrong idea. He was well aware of the fact that he lacked a visible body and while he saw himself the way he was, even in that reflective surface, he could even easily see his face, however others cannot. So in this manner, the information is truly useless. However he will have to remember it when he goes out hunting. If he ever manages to do so. First, he will have to patrol and explore the vicinity of his new territory, find the possible hiding places and the best hunting spot. If those dwarves were around, there surely must be more who he can kill.

Looking around, the wraith finally decided to move. He tried to get up, slipping about three times before he managed to get to his feet and with the help of the wall which supported him; he made his way out of the room, leaving her alone for now. How things look, she will survive, so he can go back to his show. He will rest today to gather energy and see if he can get outside tonight.

Just a patrol... and maybe... maybe a kill.

Hyano tilted her head curiously but only shrugged it off. She would probably figure out what he meant soon enough in the worst possible way more than likely. She pushed herself to her feet once he was out of the room and grabbed up the clothes she brought in with her. Once she was changed and ready for the day, she sighed. Something did catch her attention.

The mark on her stomach.

She still had it but never bothered to question it. She looked at it for a moment, then blinked before running out.

"Ren Do you know anything about this?" She asked, lifting her shirt and pointing to the scar from the day she was ran through by a spear.

The wraith noticed her approach but didn't think anything of it until she stood right in his line of sight, right when one of those creatures were ripped in half. This can't be... Why does she always pick the worst possible times to come to him? He was about to complain about it but his mind stopped where she asked something. He tilted his head a little when she showed him the scar.

Yes, he could remember that very well.

That rebellion however was rather quickly over, thanks to the respect that every orc still had for him, the fear he could inflict and the curse that still enabled him to walk the realm of the living, even after so many years. He was sure she remembered as well but for now, he will just go ahead and refresh her mind.

"You got run through by a spear." Ren said matter-of-factly, as if it was the most natural thing to happen, pointing at the scar, at the center where the tip must have gone through. "One of the orcs got you when you came to warn me about the rebellion in Moria. It was burned shut by one of the orc generals as far as I know." Yes and she was very much useless for a few weeks until she healed enough. But at least she proved him her durability and determination to pull through this, surviving this. Many mortals would have died in an instant. He had to admit, he himself wasn't sure about her survival but was surprised she actually was still around and talking.

Hyano looked confused as she listened to what he had to say.

"A spear?" She mumbled to herself. She didn't remember this. How does someone forget being plowed through by a spear? Especially an Orcish one. Those things make man's weapons look like a joke! She put a hand on her stomach, thinking for a moment. At first she thought she had nothing until she pulled her hand away and saw blood on it. She looked at her stomach and it was covered in blood as well. This made her scream and fell back. When she looked at her hand again there was no blood there at all. Now her mind was just messing with her. She glared at her hand. She really hoped this wasn't going to become a reoccurring problem.

All the wraith could do was stare at her as she seemed to be hard at work to 'try' remembering it. He tilted his head to one side then the other, watching her wordlessly. He was about to leave her to her thoughts and go back to his cartoon when she screamed. His hooded head snapped to her and looked at her, watching as she stared at her hand and at the visible scar, then simply fall to the ground and calm down somewhat. Maybe... she was a little more interesting now than this show in the black box...

"What is wrong?" He asked, all he could do was stare and try to make sense of what is happening.

The wizard snapped her head up to him, then looked away.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you..." She said, then forced herself up. She didn't believe that Ren would believe her if she said she just had a flashback. He had no idea what was going on and had no understanding of the brain, so no concept of what was going on with his mate, making him hard to talk to. If anything, it just caused more pain than it was worth.

And now that he is actually showing some kind of concern or curiosity about her wellbeing, she is just refusing to talk about it... Ren will never understand her. He wished she was like so many years ago, when she told him everything, when she didn't behave this absurd way and didn't expect him to read her mind. He couldn't help but shake his head at this and instead decided to stay stubborn and pressed on.

"Just tell me. How do you know if you don't say it?" He asked, in his mind this being a perfectly good argument. He always disliked speculating and guessing. He always tried everything and talked about them, becoming certain in some matters.

Hyano stopped and looked at him. He really wanted to know? She considered this for a moment before sighing.

"I saw blood... My hand and stomach was covered in it. I'm pretty sure it was a flashback to when I was hit by the spear. Considering the situation, I doubt it will be the only time this will happen." She explained to him before sitting down beside him. She looked to her hand. "It gave me a shock... Going from normal to covered in blood would do that to anyone I'm sure. It might not scare you but I'm sure you would get thrown off by it as well."

"Blood?" Ren asked, then looked at her hand. It was clean indeed and there was none to be found. It must have been her mind maybe. The way she said it... she didn't lie either, which made him tilt his head to the side and watch her. So now, she is seeing things? She can if she wishes... just shouldn't imagine him as an enemy and attack him... He would defend himself of course. The Nazgul was silent for a few seconds, just watching her from his spot, the cartoon long forgotten the moment she came to him.

"If I saw that blood covers my hand suddenly..." He started. "... I would look for the source and go for it." He clearly wouldn't be shocked but would eagerly search for the person who bled. The scent of blood was alluring for his kind and something delicious... yet its very existence and substance was disgusting. It created a rather funny yet addicting feeling within them.

Hyano raised a brow then looked at her hand again.

"I'm pretty sure it was mine, so looking for the source would have done little good. At least I didn't see a hole in me... Not sure how I would have felt seeing that." She said, cringing at the very idea. She still was having a hard time believing that she survived that. Maybe he was exaggerating. Nazgul weren't known for doing such things but who knows. His kind was not very well known in general. "Can you even bleed?" She asked him curiously as she looked over towards him again, her eyes showing that she honestly didn't know.

Ren tilted his head to the other side at the question, staring at her for a good ten seconds before answering her question with a curt...

"No." He has never seen any of his kind or himself bleed in any way, shape or form. After all, wraiths cannot bleed at all... "My body is spectral and cursed. If someone stabs me, the weapon shatters." He said, thinking he might remind her of this. After all, she saw this happen as well a few times. "And they will be infected by the Black Breath." He added, nodding at the last sentence. It was a rather good attacker-repellent. They avoid stabbing them and are careful, making them easy targets.

"Black breath, huh..." Hyano said more to herself. Well that was good to know. If Ren ever got out of hand she would need to know that so she wouldn't try to stab him. However, the fact also got her attention on something else. "Black breath..." She felt something odd in her hands and blinked when she looked at them and they had turned black. She wasn't shocked this time, though. It was likely just her mind playing tricks on her again. "Did... did I ever get hurt by it?" She questioned him, though, she didn't take her eyes off of her hands.

The wraith averted his gaze and watched the floor at the question. He had to think back quite a few years for the answer. Yes... He can remember that. He used black breath to cause the nightmares for her when he trained her tolerance to horror and terror, fear. At first, he had to use the scene what would have almost happened was it not for the general to stop the orcs. Then he shifted the nightmares to humans and elves, boosting her dislike towards them.

"Affected." He told her, answering the question. "But not hurt." He did not cause any physical damage to her with these nightmares but only trained her, strengthening her mentally. However she doesn't know about that and it was best not to reveal that part.

Hyano nodded. Alright, so that explains that... But what about her hands?

"Um... What else happened to me?" She asked, assuming it was a simple enough question. For a moment she felt like a child talking to her parent. The parent telling the child stories about the strange things the child did when they were too small to remember. Though, Hyano's case is just a little different, considering she hadn't forgotten because of her age. The black breath couldn't have caused whatever it was she was looking at right now. She was avoiding looking away or blinking, afraid the image would disappear and she would forget all about it in a second.

The question... wasn't exactly detailed enough, so the wraith didn't know what to say.

"What do you want to know?" He asked and tilted his head a little, unsure what she truly wanted to know. There were many things happening to her but she surely remembers. He wasn't sure why she asks anyway. She remembered him, which means she remembers everything connected to what has happened to them. Why she tries to play with him, he didn't know. Ren noticed her stare at her hands and briefly wondered if she sees blood again. He slowly extended a hand and pointed at it. "Blood again?" He asked, staring at her hands first before raising his invisible gaze to her face.

"No... They are black... I don't know why either..." Hyano admitted. "I was hoping that it might have been the weirdest thing to have happened to me so you would automatically tell me but from the sounds of it, there is a lot I'm not remembering." She said, a little annoyed with herself. She sighed, finally breaking her gaze with her hands, thinking she could stare at them all day and they still wouldn't make much sense anytime soon.

"Black?" Ren's tone gave away the fact he might know something about that, recognizing the effect she described. "You tried dark magic in Moria." He said matter-of-factly, crossing his arms over his chest. "It made your hands black at first; your magic did not want to mix with darkness. And it made one of your eyes red. The flowers changed..." He listed them easily, leaning back on the couch. His attention was soon attracted to the black box again as one of the creatures screamed rather loudly and soon was ripped apart by some kind of metallic thing...

The wizard looked at him and blinked. Dark magic? Seriously? Had she really been crazy enough to try such a thing?

"Well... that explains that... The flowers wouldn't have changed because of the dark magic though... They are adaptive. Moria is a place of darkness so they probably adapted to the lack of sunlight. They are very rare actually." She said, remembering the day she and her master found the little flowers. She looked down at her hands again and like she thought, they were normal again. She then noticed her watch and cursed. "Damn it! I'm late." She practically shouted as she got up quickly.

If Ren could, he would have raised an eyebrow as she got up rather in a hurry as if the couch was bothering her or she sat on something uncomfortable.

"Late?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, watching her as she hurried around. "Late for what? Where are you going?" He asked and once more directed his gaze to the wizard. He wondered what could cause her to behave this strange way.

"I told you. I'm going to the mall. I'm kind of meeting someone there." Hyano replied as she picked up a hoodie and slipped it on. It was mild weather, very common for around here. Part of her was trying to get out the door before he asked more into it. She had a feeling he would not be pleased when he found out just who she was going to meet. She may not have taken an interest in anyone but that didn't mean they didn't take an interest in her and she was always polite enough to give them one date before turning them down.

As soon as he heard that part about that 'someone', the wraith became protective in an instant.

"Meeting... who?" He asked, clearly suspicious about it and watched her every move from where he sat. He might maybe not possess emotions and maybe he is angry at her but it was natural for his kind to feel possessive and very much protective of what they owned. Hyano was nothing more but his property. And his alone. No one else's. The way she was hurrying only strengthened his belief that this someone meant much to her person... enough to leave in a hurry in the middle of an important conversation.

The wizard sighed. There was the question she had hoped to avoid.

"A man. He has been asking to take me out on a date for a while now and a week ago I finally agreed to let him take me a few places at the mall. Before you say anything… no I don't like him. I'm being nice." She said, being quick to correct his thinking. She didn't want him thinking she was out looking for a mate. She was being kind if anything. Part of her had wanted to bring Ren along to deter the man from trying anything on this date but considering Ren wouldn't change his clothes for anyone that wasn't going to happen.

"You are not going." The Nazgul said it very firmly and finality was very hard to miss. He thought it was all that needed to be said and turned back to the black box. She won't go and meet a human male who -if he understood right- wants something from her. He found it offending that another male would dare looking at her that way. They should be afraid to be close to her this way, knowing she is taken and was taken by a Nazgul at that. He should avoid her if he knows what is good for him. He better doesn't try anything. And to make sure nothing happens, he simply won't let her leave in any way. The wraith still felt heavy distrust between them. What also fueled his anger was that he did not know what a 'date' was. Was that some kind of an activity? Or was it something intimate? He wasn't sure and did not want to find out only too late.

"And how exactly do you plan to stop me?" Hyano asked, crossing her arms. She had a feeling he would say this but she wasn't about to just stay put. She had planned this over a week ago. Besides, she already knew it would be a fail on the man's part so it wasn't like it would be a problem for her to go. He also seemed to forget or not know that the world forgot about wraiths. They only knew the stories which weren't very good to say the least. Even she knew that and her recollection of wraiths in general had been rather bad, thanks to the spell used to make her forget everything about Ren.

Said wraith's gaze slowly drifted to her and stared at her for a little while, before he decided to reply.

"You are simply not going. I will not let you." If everything else fails, he will have to wrestle her to submission again like yesterday. He will not allow another male to look at her that way. Not in a million years. They should know better than to mess with him and his rightful property. And now that he is by her side again, no male should dare approach her the wrong way. They can't even look at her!

"... Yeah... alright." The orange istar said, then turned and made her way to the door. Part of her was just curious to see what or how far he would go to stop her. The idea in itself was kind of funny which is why she wanted to test it and his jealousy… kind of felt good. She had an idea where this was going and was glad she had the man's number in her phone so she could call and cancel if she had to but she would avoid it if it was possible.

As soon as he saw her disobeying him, Ren couldn't help but stare and think that this is just a joke. He wasn't used to this setting where she doesn't follow his orders. It was new and he wanted the old setting back as fast as possible. While she was indeed his mate, she was still lower in rank than him, as she is his second in command only with this title. It doesn't grant equality. So, feeling his authority challenged, the wraith let out a sharp hiss as she neared the door, daring her to move out of it before slowly but surely standing tall, raising his head, showing his authority and dominance to her, expressing it as best as he could. She will NOT challenge him in any way.

Hyano stopped short, a part of her mind freezing. The part of her mind that would have done anything he said without a second thought. She blinked and shook her head, the feeling coming off as nothing short of strange to her. Besides, when she lived with him she had always been free of mind and body so having herself feel this way just came off as odd. However she wasn't about to stop for it. She looked towards him, then stuck her tongue out at him in defiance before grabbing the doorknob.

Knowing this gesture all too well as refusal from their past, the wraith felt offended even more, if not betrayed. With this, she earned her death in his mind. Challenging the authority and dominance of a Nazgul is a high crime punishable with death, especially if that defying person is their mate. If she refuses a command like this, what if there would be a command so much more important and she refuses? She would only hinder him than help him. In addition, going off -as the mate of a Nazgul- to meet another male like this is just unheard of and highly offending towards the wraith, as if their pride is broken by their mate trying to search company in other males. Ren might have a lower sense of pride than his brothers, seeing he tolerated many things back then that she threw at him, however he still supported and enforced the old rules. Sounding one sharper hiss, the Nazgul took a deep breath and shrieked at her disobedience, releasing that infamous sound of a wraith before charging right at her, intending to punish her for all this.

If he can, he will move in for the kill.

This set something off in Hyano. She recognized the sound but it had never been directed at herself. She seemed to know what it meant. He was furious. Beyond furious. Well, this would be good. Considering he wore boots, hearing him coming wasn't hard so once he was right at her she slammed her foot down, sending him flying back. She had not used this move in quite some time. She had no reason to. She looked at him a little confused.

"... You were going to kill me..." She said, not even asking. She just knew that was what he was going to do. She stepped back from the door, looking at him and wondering if he would say anything or just go for it again.

As soon as he landed on the floor, Ren jumped right back. He wasn't in the mood to talk, it was clear by the darkness he emitted. She disobeyed his order, clearly not caring about his authority and even dared pushing back against him. But no matter. If what she said is true and there is truly not as much magic left, then her magical attacks should exhaust her quickly, this is when he will move in and give her the fatal blow. He didn't even need any weapons. His gauntlets and boots were sharp and sturdy enough to do the job for him easily. So, without further ado, the wraith went for her again, awaiting another of such an attack. He will tire her out.

Hyano wasn't nearly that stupid. At least not anymore. She was caught off guard by the fact he was trying this in the first place but that didn't mean she would let it happen. She dodged him in the last second and looked at him.

"Who do you think will tire out faster? The person who uses magic or the person made of it? Especially when I do this." She asked then leaned over and turned up the lights. So far she had kept them down as to not hurt him but now that he was pulling this stunt she assumed all was fair. She wasn't going to leave them on too long. Just long enough to stun him.

While she dodged, Ren left a nice scratch mark on the door, indicating he was indeed using strength for this attack and wasn't just mocking. He turned towards her and hissed as she spoke, dismissing every word she said, then shrieked loudly when suddenly he was blinded. It hurt his senses greatly, but not his body like sunlight would. He shook his head repeatedly and stepped backwards constantly, wanting to get away from the lights until he met the wall. Using the fact that it was just light coming from 'fire', he just looked away from the source, turning his hooded head towards the opposite direction, which happened to be the door. Well, at least he can guard that...

The wizard walked up to him, keeping a good enough distance to keep out of hand range. She had seen the door and didn't want to lose her head.

"You know I was just testing you... I was curious how far you would go to keep me from going. I figured I would get tackled... I was ready to call and tell him I wasn't coming, you big jerk!" She snapped. He had tried to kill her, of course she was angry. "I figured you would tackle me down. Say 'hell no' then that would be it. NO you bloody try to kill me! Do you even have a sense of humor?" She hissed at him.

"Disrespecting your superior and challenging his authority isn't humor. I fail to see anything amusing about that." The Nazgul replied, clearly still angry and his head sometimes moved as if trying to see where she was in order to get a good swing in. "If you refuse this order, then you are useless at more important ones, wizard. I cannot expect support from you." He explained, calling her wizard instead of her name, knowing this justifies his actions. It was just logical, wasn't it? To his mind it was. While he didn't mind humor and a little prank sometimes, he hated it when people think they are amusing and play around with things they shouldn't... then they are the ones who feel offended. Just like Hyano now. "And you better don't test me around. The one who is testing is me. And you are failing miserably at each one."

"SCREW YOU!" The orange istar snapped at him. "There are so many ways in which you suck as a mate! Apparently, I'm supposed to trust and obey you! Screw that! Why would I trust someone who doesn't even trust or believe me? I can't bloody remember a damn thing about you, yet you think I should just trust you? What kind of idiot do you take me for? You blew up in a building, started giving me hell and now you tried to kill me! The hell I'm going to trust you! You have given me no reason to and at this rate I doubt I ever will!" She practically screamed at him. She was so furious. She had tried. Valar knows she had tried so hard with this crazy creature but he had done nothing so far besides giving her grains of information. She stepped back and pulled out her cell phone to call the man. She wasn't going anywhere. Not when she was feeling like this anyway.

She had no right to scream at him. She should be covering away from him and his anger. Ren was done playing around and at least knew -from what she said- that he has as much chance to survive here than if he would be alone without her. He could simply just walk out the door and hide or start terrorizing the town they are in without even hiding, enjoy their failing attempts to get rid of him. Be feared and respected for his powers... But he can't let her live with so much information about him and about who he is. He started to recover from the sudden light and turned his hooded head towards her. Even if he didn't see in this light, it didn't hurt him anymore, seeing it wasn't sunlight. And while he was blind, he could easily pinpoint her location through her talking, scent, aura and magic. His other senses were still as sharp as ever.

"You got no right to disobey me, seeing your position. You should have worked to make sure you don't become useless to me. Too late now. And if you refuse, then you will die." The wraith had his own plan of course. If this all doesn't work now, he could always get her when she is sleeping. Easy as that. Easy target, easy to get rid of without struggle. Ren completely dismissed what other words she uttered. He thought she is not worth it to reply to them as he still thought he was right in all the aspects. She can remember, she just doesn't want to. Left him to die and restarted her life without him without trouble. He never would have believed that he will once be disappointed in his own choice. If his Lord was still there and whispering into his head, he would have warned him about this and wouldn't have let him make this terrible mistake. He hated the free mind and uncertainty in his choices.

After letting his senses focus on her, the Nazgul started to advance again, clearly not intending to give a hug.

Hyano was ignoring him as well as she told the man on the phone that she would not make it today. When she finished her conversation, she pocketed the phone then looked towards the wraith, seeing what he was up to.

"Your inability to listen is why you will never rule the world." She said bluntly, then stepped back, leaning back against the wall. "Exactly what part of 'killing the only other source of magic' sounds like a good idea? I'm pretty sure the moment you do, you will turn to stone in a matter of hours, so please explain how this is to your benefit." She asked him with her arms crossed over her chest.

The Nazgul didn't lose his focus and kept a good 'eye' on her. He knew her location and just waited for the right moment to lash out. If he fails now, he will just kill her in her sleep like he planned a few days ago, seeing her uselessness. He heard the voices and the male surely sounded disappointed, which only fueled his rage. He was jealous of course, this wasn't one of the feelings he could feel, he simply found it offending that she is seeing other males while she is his mate and felt his pride broken by knowing this. If she betrays him now, at what time will she repeat it at more serious situations? Furthermore, the trust between them just lowered to zero. She doesn't trust him, neither does he her. Blood will flow... and it wasn't hard to guess whose. He doesn't have any.

"No, I would be ruling the world by now if I didn't listen to you." He could remember her eagerness to get back up to the surface in Moria and he wanted to grant her wish, maybe daring to set foot outside too soon... "I am done with that and learned from my mistake." He will always listen to his own words now, think about his decisions. And the one he made now, it seemed logical. "Source of magic? I have already what I need for the little time I am able to exist here even without you. I have no more support with or without you, so why risk it all?" She was basically the only one who can fight him in this world, as things look. Humans have forgotten what enchantments are and use weapons that are all too easy to resist. They can do nothing against him. If he decided to take over the word, he will do so on his own.

There shall be no resistance.

Hyano raised a brow, then memories flashed in her mind. Memories of her doing quite a bit for the Nazgul. Dark magic, creating beasts, eating meat, living in darkness. She gritted her teeth. And yet he felt everything was all her fault. She shook her head. She didn't care. The wizard looked at him as he got close, then put her hand up.

"Learn from this." She said, then flicked her hand the door behind him opening, then slammed her foot down… blasting him outside.

Normally she would be worried about people seeing him but at this point she honestly didn't care. She flicked her hand again and the door shut itself. It didn't lock though but she assumed it would take him a moment to find that out. She then walked to her room, shutting the door behind her. She was worn out mentally. That moronic wraith had done a number on her mind and she honestly needed some sleep. So she flipped onto her bed with a sigh.

"Bloody idiot..." She mumbled.

Ren didn't even know what is happening when he landed outside. All he knew was that the searing pain from the sun returned and hissed sharply at it, huddling closer to the door, trying to find a shadow. Not seeing the doorknob in this light, the Nazgul shrieked and moved away from it towards the side of the 'tower', where he was shaded from the sun and its irritating light. He couldn't believe her... How could she! Just wait until it gets dark! Just wait! He will go right in and dismember her alive, let her wake up to missing limbs then laugh in her face as he gives her the killing blow... a hand in her chest... pull out the heart and bathe in that delicious blood...

This is all he had in mind at the moment.

He didn't go anywhere, knowing he will have plenty time to look around at night, so kept staying at the back of the house, meditating for now, hissing at the sun when it reached him as it moved across the sky. He hated that glowing orb with a passion and awaited the night so eagerly.

* * *

Hyano passed out rather quickly. Even with the sun up she was still tired. This fact only doubled when the sun finally set, putting her to her usual dead sleep.

The moment the sun was setting, the wraith found himself inching closer to the door. Each minute that passed made him go closer and closer until he reached it and went inside.

Once in the house, he shut the door and stepped deeper into his home. His armored hand subconsciously went to his side where he felt the handle of the sword with which he planned to give her last memories. Nothing will stop him from the kill now.

Nothing!

The wraith's darkness would be almost unbearable if he had his full power but because of the lack of magic it wasn't as strong but still could cause fear into those who come too close. He stood in the middle of the room, waiting for darkness to fall completely, counting the minutes and hours eagerly.

As soon as the sun vanished from the sky, he stepped forward and didn't stop until he reached Hyano's door. He grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open, letting it creak as loudly as it wanted. Her sleeping form came into his line of vision and couldn't help but feel excitement, the anticipation for the kill reached his mind. He stepped into the room, leaving the door slightly ajar and let his heavy steps carry him to her side. Ren then hissed lightly and grabbed the handle of his sword, which he then pulled free; the sound of metal sliding along metal was sharp in the silence of the room. The Nazgul admired the blade briefly before finally focusing on Hyano's sleeping form once more and pointed the blade at her arm, preparing for a nice swing.

But it never came to that.

Ren wasn't the only one planning to come tonight.

A lone shadow appeared at the front door, nearing it in a slow and careful pace. The man she had said 'no' to decided to pay her a visit as well. He snuck into her yard, not knowing the Nazgul was even there. He snuck up to her front door and tried the doorknob. He blinked, surprised that it actually opened. He wondered for a moment what Hyano was thinking leaving her door unlocked in a world like this, even in such a small town.

Bad things happened... and a bad thing would happen tonight.

The sound of the door opening was clear in Ren's ear and turned sharply with a hiss towards it, instantly putting away the sword and walked closer to the door but didn't exit it. Instead, he started peeking through the small gap of the almost closed door of the wizard's bedroom.

Who is that?

The mysterious man walked through the house quietly, every now and again picking something up. When he came to Hyano's hoodie, which had been hung up, he picked it up and actually sniffed it giving a sigh before putting it back.

This had been the man she planned to meet.

If she had known he was this crazed, though, she might not have agreed to it in the first place. She thought he was just persistent and a little annoying at worst. However, the gun in his hand proved otherwise. He looked around before heading towards Hyano's room, not noticing Ren in the darkness just yet as he observed him.

Sniffing each other's scents is private and intimate for a wraith. While they lacked the distinctive scent like mortals, they did have an aroma in the air that is scented once they are close or mates do this to make sure they remember each other. What this male did was offending. Scenting the belonging of his mate was bold and is considered a challenge. Ren didn't hiss however but wanted to lure him closer by silence.

He will kill him first.

But for this, he will have to cut his escape route, so deciding to remain invisible for the male, he pulled back from the door and stood next to the wall, so once he opens it, he will be hidden by the wooden object itself. How dare he! The stupid mortal! And he dared to make a move on his mate? He will show him with whom he is messing with.

The man stepped into her room and a smile spread across his face as he saw the sleeping form of the istar. If he knew exactly who he was messing with, he might actually consider turning tail and running... maybe. However seeing the beautiful woman on the bed was enough to make the man grin. He stepped up to her quietly, then brushed a hand over her cheek.

Ren got anger rise within him at the sight of his filthy hands on his mate. How dare this male still touch her? Doesn't he know she is taken? When he woke her up from that unconsciousness in the morning his aroma rubbed off of him to her. Or do mortals have such a weak sense of smell?

"So much beauty..." The man whispered softly. "Too bad you have to die." He then stepped back from her before pointing his gun at her and got ready to fire.

He wanted her so much that he was willing to kill her to make sure no one else would get her.

The Nazgul could only understand little of what is being said and what made him even more confused was the object he suddenly held out. The Ringwraith tilted his head to the side at watching it before deciding to find out later and finally show this male who he challenged. He pressed against the door, freeing himself from his hiding, before stepping forward towards the man. Before he could reach him, he hissed a warning, sharply, indicating he will answer to his challenge and will fight him and kill him for his unacceptable actions, then launched himself at him.

Hyano had no idea what was going on. She had no idea her 'mate' was in the room ready to kill her, though, she could probably guess at that one. She had no idea that a man was holding a gun to her head ready to fire and she had no idea Ren was about to kill him instead. However, the man holding the gun quickly realized he was not the only male body in the room. He jumped, then turned around and without thinking twice he fired at the dark creature. He had already been set to shoot something, so shocking him was a good way to get him to change targets.

As soon as the shot was fired, Ren pulled back with a surprised and sharp shriek, backing off from him, shaking his head rapidly. However, having a cursed and spectral body made the bullet shatter instead of entering and doing damage, this wasn't what caused him to back off and shriek.

It was the sound.

It snapped and gave a very loud and sudden noise, irritating and tearing at his hearing. Of course the way he moved it could be easily mistaken for pain but truth is the wraith didn't feel more than the odd pressure where the bullet got him. He never had anything speed towards him so fast and the noise was new. With a last shake of his head, the Nazgul focused once more on the mortal and with a new sharp hiss, he charged again with a raised metal-covered hand, intending to claw him right in the face.

The human's eyes went wide and stepped back upon seeing all this happen.

"What the hell are you?" He cried but didn't hesitate to shoot again, this time aiming for the hood that should have been the wraith's face.

* * *

Hyano groaned and started to open her eyes.

"Wha-…?" While in the olden days she would not have been able to wake up even with this much noise in her room, things had changed quite a bit since then. She had yet to tell Ren about this, though considering they had been arguing over who knows what else that was no surprise. She blinked and her eyes widened when she saw two figures in the darkness. She kept quiet, though. She had no idea what was going on.

She could guess what Ren was there but what or who was the other one?

* * *

Yet again, what scared the wraith back wasn't any pain but the harsh sound, however not nearly as much as before. He knew what pressure to expect but the sound came simply too suddenly. He hissed sharply and shrieked briefly at this but recovered yet again with some shake of his head. He didn't yet notice that his mate was awake but was too much concentrating on the male who was still aiming at him with that thing.

So this is what it is for? Is this some kind of new weapon?

Ren only wondered for a few seconds as he got his bearings before once more going for the mortal with a sharp hiss, intending to try and this time dodge that shot that would be aimed at him. He didn't even bother answering the shocked question of the male. He will get to know him soon enough. He charged once again, this time more alert, aiming to claw him in the face, then drag him out. He knew he will amuse himself with this one. He will mock him for his ridiculous challenge.

Hyano heard the gun shot and cringed, going from quiet to a sudden gunfire in a small room was enough to make anyone's ears pop.

However, the man didn't seem to notice or care as he fired at Ren repeatedly, his eyes widening as the dark creature dodged the bullets. It was impossible. He was practically at a range where no man could dodge... That is to say if he was fighting a man. What he did not know is that the Nazgul found it easy to avoid the shots due to the man's shaky aim and dulled reflexes from the shock of seeing such a creature.

Hyano sat up as she watched what was going on. Her first instinct was fear. Despite herself, she was afraid for that idiot of a wraith who was probably here to kill her anyway!

It was harder to dodge the closer Ren managed to go to the human. The more he fired, the more used his senses became to the sudden sounds, making him flinch only at each shot. When he was close enough, a shot did get him but he was just too close for a strike to care about it. He did hiss at the sensation, finding it irritating and angering at most and jerked slightly back but that didn't stop him in his hunger for fear and blood. With one swipe, he aimed to hit the human right in the face, wanting to cause bleeding injury and disorient him.

But he didn't go for the kill yet, oh no.

The moment his sharp gauntlet made contact with the human flesh, the sharp edges tore at it, ripping muscles and releasing some of the delicious blood free, basically cutting open one side of his face. But that was just a taste of his abilities. The wraith's aim was also coordinated so the male was shoved towards the wall, facing the door, hoping he will have the brains to flee... so he can chase... and hunt. He didn't care, nor notice that Hyano moved. His senses were all focused on the man and his sorry excuse of a challenge.

The human cried out in pain as he fell against the door and he put his free hand on his face, feeling how it had been slashed open and his eyes were wide from the mix of pain and fear. He forced himself up but before he ran he flipped on the light switch. He wanted to see what this thing was that was attacking him.

Hyano's eyes cringed at the quick shift from dark to light, blinding her for a second before she realized what happened. "Shit." She cursed under her breath.

Ren was actually thinking that he is getting up to run so already prepared to charge after him, going right at him, closer, wanting to chase. However he didn't count on the light being switched on. It flashed and made him lose his vision, making him hiss sharply and shrieked, backing away from the human a little, lowering his head to try and shade it from it all. However his fury was much stronger than his surprise, so having memorized the direction where the human stood, he went at him and rammed him using his bodyweight and swing, pushing both of them out of the door, sending them down to the floor, rolling a little before they came to a stop.

The man groaned as he hit the ground but he didn't stop for long, though. He quickly got up and tried to run out the door despite being sure his leg was broken. However the door shut and locked before he could make it out.

Hyano stood at the top of the steps, looking down at him.

"Sorry but you aren't leaving now." She said, staring at him with narrowed green eyes, trying to push down the fear she felt and the shock from before.

The man started to lose it and shifted his already aimed weapon towards the sudden voice -expecting the strange creature, then without warning he shot at her.

The wizard gasped as the bullet went straight through her shoulder and gritted her teeth. Most people think that the impact is what hurts the most when it comes down to a bullet. No. It is actually the burning. Bullets are hot when they make contact and burn as they go through the body, leaving the hole they make scorched, especially at close range. She held her shoulder and glared at him, feeling her legs shake.

This was when Ren heard her voice... yet he refused to believe she was up and moving... Not after sunset... She is asleep... and he is hearing things. His mind is too confused and too much set on one goal. Hunt and savor the fear he causes from the human. He heard the shot only barely as he got up and started to stalk forward. His fingers moved a little, preparing them for another strike. He will cut the flesh of this mortal wherever he can get him. He will show him what mistake he made! Not only did he enter his territory without permission but he also made a move on his mate and wanted to kill her without his approval. She is his to kill. No one else's. The Nazgul started to advance towards the human, hissing sharply before launching yet another attack, intending to make him bleed from as many wounds as he can, while he enjoys his screams of pain, fear and the scent of the delicious blood he will draw from him.

Hyano heard the screams and cries as the man was torn to shreds right down her stairs. She slumped against a wall and held her head. Those cries were all too familiar. The cries of elves as they were slaughtered. Orcs as they fell to their doom. She gritted her teeth. Had she really caused all that? She remembered things... and then she remembered a feeling of comfort even in the worst of times.

What surprised her, though, was that she knew it came from that madman down there. The one who wanted to kill her not long ago had also protected her like she was the most valuable thing in the world...

"... Why?"

All the while he worked, Ren taunted and mocked the human in Black Speech, sometimes switching to the language of man with that few words he knew, just to make sure he understands something of what he is saying. Mostly daring him to defend himself and demanding that he answers to his crime of breaking into his territory, challenging his claim over his mate and trying to kill her without permission.

Of course the human wasn't truly letting it all just happen and did try to crawl away but the wraith was on him rather quickly, leaving a trail of blood behind.

Soon enough, they ended up in the bathroom, where it all stopped as the scent of death reached Ren's senses. The weak mortal seemed to have given up now and fell silent and limp. He didn't stop there, though. Even when he was dead, the wraith kept tearing at his flesh, freeing more of his blood, opening him up and let his guts spill. He didn't have any mercy or give any respect to the dead. He will slice him to mash with his gauntlets!

While the male didn't scream or cry anymore, didn't even move, the wraith still felt like he wasn't yet done. He wanted to let all his anger out and his pushed back desire to kill and hunt was finally resurfacing, slowly getting satisfied by the kill. But it will only last as long. He won't need to hunt for a few days or weeks, depends on his mood but if yes, then he will need to kill... he will hunt. These people are so pathetic and weak; he could easily destroy each of them and herd them under his reign if he wanted. He wanted to sit here all night and day, savoring the scent of his handiwork... But his plan needed some kind of change as he heard the door being pushed wider open and a form appeared there.

Hyano finally pulled herself together and clutching her shoulder she walked down stairs and followed the blood trail to the bathroom. She made a mental note to look up a cleaning spell. She normally kept a clean home so never had use for one... until now. She came to the bathroom and felt her guts try to jump out before settling again when she saw the massacre that had once been her bathroom... And the dark creature who was in the middle of it.

"Ren?" She asked carefully, clutching her shoulder tightly as she saw him still tearing at the man, seeming to be engulfed into madness.

Ren automatically hissed and got ready to lash out to whoever dared to plan to steal his prey but stopped when he saw Hyano. What? He tilted his head to the side and stared at her, not sure if he is seeing things or she truly is here. His mind started to count the time... Did he so much entertain himself with this mortal that the sun came up? No... He could feel his powers didn't yet reduce, which meant the sun didn't yet rise, so what is she doing here, awake? He didn't say anything but stared at her, confused.

Despite him not having a face, the wizard knew he was confused. Even with memory loss she knew that when they knew each other she had not been able to do this.

"I have had five thousand years to figure out how to stay awake at odd hours." She said simply, then looked towards what was left of the body. It took her a moment because the body was so destroyed but she was able to figure out who it had been. "... That was the man I was supposed to meet..." She looked at the now empty gun. "Looks like you weren't the only one that wanted to kill me tonight..." She said then turned her eyes back to him. "That is why you were in my room, right?" She asked him, not really curious since she knew the answer.

Ren never lied to her. This was one positive fact about him. He couldn't lie, at least not in important matters. So he did not hide his intentions, neither when he really went in for the kill a few hours ago.

"He wanted to steal my kill." He said, then went back to look at the body and tore at it once more. "He broke in and challenged me clearly. He deserves this." Of course he also defended his territory and all his property within, furthermore this is the answer to that challenge this male made when he sniffed his mate's scent and this was the punishment for trying to make a move on Hyano. She was his mate, even if she is to die. He didn't yet notice that she was clutching her shoulder, instead was 'working' again on the corpse.

Hyano watched him and thought a moment about their situation. Despite the way he acted, this proved that in a way he valued her or else he wouldn't have cared how she died as long as she was dead. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. A little flattered, she guessed. Very disgusted, of course. She watched as he took to destroying the body yet again. She hesitated for a moment, then stepped towards him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't think you can make him look any worse than he already is, Ren." She told him calmly.

"It isn't about looks." The wraith said as he sank his 'claws' within the corpse and pulled it closer to him again, relishing in the feeling and sound of tearing flesh and crushed bone. "What counts is the scent... the blood... and ownership." He decided to explain why he is doing what he does now. Because of the calmer tone she used, he didn't react aggressively as she put her hand on his shoulder, knowing full well and feeling that she is not going to take the body from him. He only looked up at her briefly when she made the contact, before going back to look for the heart. He wanted that! They always kept the heart after a kill. It must be deeper within... or maybe he already pulled it out... As he raised his gaze from the body or what was left of it, something caught his attention.

Something...

Ren averted his gaze from the corpse and tilted his head to the side as he saw that thing again, laying in the living room on the ground. That little thing that kept making that loud noise... Ignoring the body, he stood and slowly stalked up to it, stopping in front of it and crouched down. He extended a hand slowly and poked the metallic thing, for now content in doing that.

Hyano watched him for a moment and wasn't surprised he took an interest in the gun. It was a weapon unlike any from back in his time.

"That is one of the weaker weapons of this age." She told him and while she spoke her hand started to glow trying to heal her shoulder enough that she wouldn't bleed out. However, she ran into a problem. The bullet was still in there. She cursed under her breath when she realized this. _Alright, so this was going to hurt like hell._ She thought to herself before turning her eyes to Ren again. Even after all that he was very much like a child. Curious as ever.

"Weapon?" Ren asked, and tilted his head to the other side, watching the thing. He never saw such a thing before and it attracted his attention. Reaching out, he took the weapon and started flipping it here and there, trying to determine how it worked. If it was a weapon... which actually hurts a mortal... then he can use it too? He could remember that each time the male shot at him and made this loud noise, something tried pierce his body, which of course shattered as well. However, the weapon was tiny... too tiny for his mind to consider it as a serious weapon. A weapon that could kill in one shot? Nah... But it was still useful. It means it can fire projectiles, just like a bow... But without the wooden part... and without the string... or an arrow. He did try to pull it apart but he didn't succeed at first, then finally something fell on the floor. Something... long... and there were some little... metallic things inside... Which was actually the magazine. Was this the 'arrow'? The wraith put the gun aside and started to examine the bullets.

Hyano watched him, then knelt beside him and snapped her fingers to get his attention. She didn't know why she did it, just knew it would work, causing him to automatically shift his gaze to the wizard, staring at her, waiting for her to speak or do something. She always did this when she wanted something from him.

The wizard then pointed towards her shoulder, showing him the damage that the little weapon could do to a body. Though, she had healed it slightly by now it was still rather noticeable what the gun had done.

"He shot me after I closed the door on him. This is what it does. Though, depending how close you get the damage can be more or less." She told him, then picked up a bullet. "I actually have one of these stuck in my shoulder right now." She added a little annoyed at the object.

Ren listened closely to what she said and looked back at the gun, then at her shoulder. So that male actually managed to get a hit in? Pathetic mortal. Well, he did die a horrible death for it, so felt satisfied for what he did even more than how he did before. When she mentioned there is one such metallic thing still stuck in her shoulder, he couldn't help but tilt his head slightly and grab her arm, pulling her closer to look at the wound, obviously not at all caring about her pain. It looked small, yet bad enough. It surely bled and Ren could still smell that pure blood of hers, which felt much better than the filthy one in the male. He could see the bullet as well and pushed by his curiosity, he reached out and decided to try and get the bullet out. Just to look at it... And of course... for the blood. His sharp and thin-clawed gauntlets are the perfect tool for that.

Hyano yelped as he grabbed her arm, a little caught off guard, however it wasn't hard to figure out what he was doing from there. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, subconsciously grabbing his shoulder with her other hand and gripped tightly. If there was anything she retained from what he put her through, it was a high pain tolerance. Anyone else would have shoved him off in a second and started crying. However she could handle it. Even as a child she was good at taking pain and that only grew with the years, however that did not make this anymore pleasant.

It was kind of hard to get to it, though. The bullet of course was small, the wound even smaller and what made it worse was the fact that Hyano apparently already tried to heal it, so the skin had an even smaller hole in it. But that didn't deter the Nazgul from his goal and her hand on his shoulder didn't bother him either. He had to pull the skin farther apart with two fingers, while his other hand went for the bullet. It didn't go as fast, seeing the flesh that got into his way but eventually the 'claws' of his metallic gloves made contact with the thing he was looking for and soon pulled the bloody and slightly damaged projectile out, releasing her from his hold. The moment he did so, he focused on the metal thing and saw how deformed it got compared to the others on the ground. So, it was weak, but surprisingly light. The blood on it was also a nice reward.

He loved the scent of it...

Hyano was left panting as he finally finished.

"...Thanks, I guess." She pushed out before leaning back against a wall. Her arm felt numb from the pain. Probably better off that way. She held her shoulder for a moment and started to heal it again... however the lack of magic in Middle-Earth made the process all that much slower. It also made it more tiring. She had to stop before she did too much or she was sure she would pass out from the lack of energy.

While he maybe was occupied with the bullets, his attention was easily averted, because there was truly nothing interesting about it other than the blood. He simply dropped it to the ground and looked around the room. A whole bloodbath was here, the huge amount of blood proved it as it was smeared all over the place and left a large trail from the stairs in an arch towards the bathroom as the male tried to crawl away from the wraith that tore at his flesh. It was a nice scent actually... Well, Hyano's was still far more pure so more desired but this is enough as well. While he looked around, his gaze soon stopped on the wizard and tilted his head to the side, stepping once closer, watching her as she struggled.

"Heal yourself?" He suggested, not sure why she isn't doing it. Well, he could see she was trying but apparently not hard enough.

Hyano looked up at him and debated on if she should answer or not but sighed, deciding he would figure it out anyway.

"There isn't enough magic. I can't." She told him honestly as she gave up. She was still bleeding a little and her shoulder would feel like hell for quite some time but at this point it was something she would have to live with. If she slowly healed it in the next couple of days, she should be good as new within a week. Maybe two if she wasn't lucky.

Ren heard this a while ago from her and did feel it himself as well. He needed to meditate a lot longer than usual. Three hours is nothing. He is up to five hours now and even then he is slightly weaker than he should be. He is also losing energy more rapidly than before, the smallest thing he does costs more than it did five thousand years ago. Just thinking about this brought him to a realization.

He was exhausted.

The Nazgul started suddenly swaying on his feet before plopping down on the ground in a sitting position. Tearing this human apart cost him greatly as it seems and he didn't even feel this but only after he calmed down completely, having satisfied his need to hunt and kill. He hissed at his tired and vulnerable state but was unable to move anywhere for now.

Hyano smiled at this.

"Seems like you noticed too." She said, then forced herself to her feet and got under his arm, lifting him up with all the strength she had left and made her way to the basement. If he wanted to get his energy back he did not want to be here when the sun came back up. A memory flashed in her mind of when she was little. The first time they met. She did this as well. He put all his weight on her. At the time she had been annoyed but hadn't complained, wanting to get him to safety more than anything.

Ren wasn't expecting this from her. He didn't know how she can be this naive... Did he truly make such a horrible choice? That she is helping him up and into a darker room doesn't make him change his mind. Next night he will simply try again. No late support will make him think otherwise. But he let her do as she wished. As she pulled him up, he tried to use his remaining strength to stay up but also put a nice weight onto her, just for good measure. She deserves it in his mind. Their walk was rather slow, as he and his mate were both tired and exhausted; both for different reasons but this put the wraith off from attacking her in any way for now.

Once they arrived at a nice spot, the Ringwraith simply let himself fall down, sitting down, and leaning against the wall with a sigh. Today wasn't starting all that well. He didn't get done with what he wanted but at least his mind is satisfied now.

Once Hyano got him to his dark corner, she plopped onto the couch with a sigh. She panted for a moment until her body finally calmed down.

"... Why in Valar's name do I keep helping you?" She asked mostly herself as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. She couldn't figure it out. So far her memory said he had been very important to her but couldn't understand why, though. He was a selfish prick at best. A murderous one to boot. She sighed, then thought about the man he had killed. He valued her as his own... so at one point she had been important to him too, even if it was just as an object that was useful.

Ren got himself comfortable and huddled closer to the wall, resuming a meditating position. He needed to do this or bad things will happen. Five hours wasted on resting when it should be three. He sighed in annoyance at this and shook his head. How did the world come to this? He didn't understand why the Valar are taking the magic from here. It would be important for him... This was when he heard her speak, just noticing that she didn't yet leave the basement but was sitting there still and talking. He thought she was talking to him, so answered her.

"Because we used to be like this. But not anymore." He concluded. Nothing is the way it is supposed to be between them. He did want the old days back but he saw reality and knew he can't have it. And mourning won't give it back either, not like he understood what mourning was. Now their relationship looks crippled and falling apart if it didn't already. He didn't like it as she was so useful to him in the past and could see himself taking over the new world with her help but after all this in the past few days... there is no chance for that.

Hyano raised a brow, surprised that he replied. The only reason she was still down there was because she was too tired to make herself go up the stairs at this point. She thought about his words for a moment, her eyes staring up into the darkness towards the ceiling.

"...Maybe it is better this way..." She said, though her voice didn't even convince herself. Her mind and body both wanted the old days back even if she didn't remember them. She wanted her friend and mate back. What's more she wanted his trust back. No matter what she said or did, he refused to believe the truth... It was painful. It was like adding salt to an already open wound which was her memory loss.

Ren didn't see how it would be better... Well, for her maybe... But is she really so easily forgetting all that they did and went through together? All the struggle and suffering was for nothing? His efforts were so pointless? He didn't like this one bit. Even the orcs had more sense of loyalty than this wizard. For him it isn't better this way. He cannot get to the new world without her, as she surely has the means to reach it. He will otherwise just cease existing on this world with time. And it won't take long. She however still can happily live here until she needed to leave. But then again, he doesn't trust her enough anymore to believe her if she once told him she wanted to take him along. He would be more skeptic, even refusing to go. She does not support him, she doesn't trust him, neither does she feel comfortable around him or do as he said anymore and she is even alright with it as her recent words told him.

In other words... she became useless for him.

And what is useless, he doesn't need it.

And if he doesn't need it... then he gets rid of it.

Simple as that.

"Maybe." He repeated before trying to meditate again, thinking this was the end of their conversation.

Hyano let her eyes go to the darkness where he sat. No arguments? She was surprised. She expected some kind of snap or something of the like, however he just seemed to except it. This... depressed her slightly.

"... Then why does it feel so horrible?" She said to herself, then sighed before trying to let her mind rest. She needed sleep of some kind. She was not supposed to be awake right now in the first place. Add on the fact that she had just spent a lot of energy only moments ago and one quickly gets a tired wizard. It didn't take long before sleep quickly took over her tired mind.

He barely heard her words, as his mind was already halfway buried within, resting, preparing for the full meditation. But he heard it alright. Horrible? Maybe because finally her subconscious is catching up. That is why. He didn't think that she was arguing within herself, seeing he had trouble distinguishing tones but he was already decent with expressions. He can easily see if she is sad, happy, uncomfortable or offended but tones are a mystery to him yet. So, settling completely now, and not saying another word, the Nazgul continued his meditation.

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**Hope you liked this chapter!**

**Seems like Hyano and Ren reached a very complicated part of their situation... We wonder if their past will indeed stay within the past…**

_CA Production_


	4. The Past of the Past

**Avp: Hey Cub! It's Wednesday. Guess what that means!**

**Cub: *Blinks and looks up.* Um…Wednesday means….. What does it mean again?**

**Avp: You serious? We have been… you mean you? How in the Vala's name did you forget?!**

**Cub: Have you looked at the date?! My head is on pumpkins and candy! Give me a break!**

**Avp: *Face palms then looks to Hyano and Ren.* Do you know?**

**Ren: *Screatches as he yet again is beaten in a Street Fighter game.* Bloody meat sack! Don't distract me with your mortal problems! Can't you see I'm busy?!**

**Hyano: *Snickers* Sorry Avp but if my creator doesn't know what makes you think I do.**

**Avp: … If I had the power to fire people… *Looks to readers.* Yes, that is right! New chapter!**

**So, our dear Readers, enjoy!**

_CA Productions_

* * *

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Chapter 4 - The Past of the Past

_-Few hours later-_

His mind forced Ren to awaken a little earlier than normal and suddenly found himself completely up, and ready for his day.

He could however swear that the five hours weren't yet up, yet he feels... strangely better and halfway recovered. It was impossible to completely recover, seeing the scarce amount of magic in this world. He shook his head and relaxed his position, sitting normally now and leaned against the wall and let his mind awaken completely from its slumber for a few minutes. He wondered what was different from the past few days that made him recover so fast... It must have been two to three hours since Ren started the meditation. Looking around, he found what was different.

He wasn't alone...

The wraith watched the wizard's sleeping form for a few seconds before getting up and moving towards her slowly and silently, watching her closely from the side.

She was such an easy target now...

Get the sword, stab her in the chest and watch as she drowns in her own blood... Or cut her head clean off?

No... He wanted to hear her suffer... or did he?

However, if his logic was right, then the reason he recovered so quickly was because of her presence. If what she told him was true, then the magic he used to exist again was sapped from her and built in within him. In this case... he maybe still continues doing that? Even if slowly? Does this mean that each time he is feeling weak, his magic is searching for their connection and taking more from her when needed?

This made the wraith think and sit down on the ground in front of her sleeping form.

Yes... He might be able to exist in this world without her if he killed her but he would last only a year or two... With her alive however and around him, it could be much longer. With this, he thought he will think about it and decide her fate at a later time. He wanted to see and experiment if what he thinks is true or not... Until then, she shall live but this doesn't change anything about his distrust.

Getting up, Ren decided to go and watch that cartoon first, then maybe go about his business with the body that was still laying in the bathroom if he smelled right. Only after an hour of watching the black box, he retired to the bathroom and spent the rest of the night ripping at the corpse.

And while he busied himself… Hyano began to toss and turn on the couch.

The wizard's eyes moved under their lids, her muscles flexed and she sighed once as if what she saw was real. Her body did not know the difference… Or perhaps… she was not dreaming…

* * *

_"My name is Hyano. I'm the new court wizard."_

_"Mister King!"_

"_I'm not sure about the other kings. Are they as much fun as you?"_

"_I will do my very best for you. I promise!"_

_"R-Ren… I'm scared."_

Hyano laughed loudly as she drove her rabbits towards the kingdom.

She was probably a little too excited. Well, anyone would be if they not only got to drive a rabbit sled but also were being sent on their first training mission to a kingdom. The little wizard was thrilled. She squealed, then hit the break on the sled and turned it, making it so it made a really swift, practically sling shooting her off. She flipped in the air and landed, then waved as the rabbits ran off. It was too bad she couldn't bring them with her into the kingdom but she had been told it would draw too much attention bringing a bunch of huge bunnies into the kingdom attached to a sled, besides, they were her master's and he needed them soon. The child wizard continued the rest of the way on foot, her over-sized cap falling on her head a little forcing her to push it up when she got close to the kingdom gates.

"Hello?! Is anyone home?!" She called and tapped her staff on the door.

The door had a peep hole, which was revealed when the guard who stood at the other end slid the wooden block away, gazing outside. His eyes instantly went from left to right but frowned when he didn't see anyone. Of course, because the hole was rather high for the smaller wizard.

"Hello? Who is there?" He asked rather demanding, seeing he thought that some children are playing around or someone simply had fun by knocking in at the city gates.

Hyano blinked as she heard a voice talking above her. She looked up and noticed the hole in the door.

"Huh... Hold on!" She called, then slammed her staff into the ground in front of the big door before climbing up it like a tree and standing balanced on the top of it so she was just tall enough to see into the hole. She grinned and waved.

The guard's eyes widened as he heard the voice and first stood on his toes to try and look down, hearing that it came from below, and gasped as suddenly a face popped up in his rather narrow field of vision. He stepped back once.

"Hello there! My name is Hyano! I'm the wizard." She said, then reached into her cap to pull out a scroll Gandalf had given her and shoved it into the hole, unintentionally hitting the guard in the face.

"Oh... you ar-...Ow!" He shouted in more surprise than pain as the scroll was shoved into his face. He stepped back once more, letting the paper fall towards the ground but caught it before it made contact with the dirt. "Be more careful... wizard. You could have stabbed out my eye, you know..." He scolded her, caressing his eye gently, before turning his gaze to the scroll. He opened it and read through the writing. Yes, indeed. But... is she really the one they were waiting for? He frowned and looked out again, looking her over as best as he could.

She was rather... small... for a wizard.

His frown stayed but simply shrugging he closed the block of the peep hole and after many locks and bars unlocking, he finally opened the gates to the city for her.

"There... I will have a guard escort you to the palace..." He told her, handing her back the scroll, then gestured towards another guard who stood by the side, seemingly in his own little world, paying no attention to the newcomer, instead was caressing a dagger in his hand.

Hyano smiled sheepishly as he scolded her for hitting him in the face.

"Sorry." She called to him then jumped down and pulled her staff back out of the ground as the door was opened for her. She walked in and looked around grinning already excited to no end and she hadn't even met anyone really, let alone seen the city. She pulled her cap off and bowed to the first guard, showing him the flowers that grew in her hair before putting her cap back on. "Thank you very much." She said, then ran up to the next guard who was supposed to help her. Again, she stopped and took her cap off and bowed to the guard. "Hello! My name is Hyano! It is very nice to meet you, sir." She said and put on her cap again, smiling up at him. Her smile was the kind of smile one would expect if the sun had a face. It was warm and inviting.

The guard almost dropped his dagger as he was addressed but managed to catch it after grabbing for it a few times. His head turned towards the voice and raised an eyebrow. No one? He frowned, then looked at the other guard who was just closing the gates with a questioning expression. Said guard shook his head and pointed down, which caused a deeper frown but he did look down anyway. He almost jumped as he saw the small wizard, grasping the handle of his dagger tighter, but chuckled awkwardly and put away his weapon. "Ehm... yes... Good day..." he was unsure why she is greeting him of all people.

"She is the wizard. Bring her to our king." The other guard said, going to his rescue, seeing his confusion, although he was annoyed that his partner never paid attention to what is going on. Hell, if there was a war breaking out, he would daydream right through it. He blamed that girl he is seeing in the past weeks.

"Oh... Alright then. Follow me." He told her finally, grinning awkwardly before gesturing for her to follow him. The guard hurried a little, wanting get this done, his steps carrying him quite fast towards the palace, not paying any attention to the city and its people, just dodged them fast or nodded in greeting as someone greeted him.

The palace itself was rather intimidating, one would think that a very fearless and strict ruler lives in there and governs the city and the land with an iron grip. However everyone who knew their king knew this was far from the truth.

The guard stopped in front of the steps.

"So... want me to escort you to our king, or do you wish to go alone?" He wasn't sure if this wizard was here before and knew how to get to the throne room.

IF their king was there...

Well, Hyano would have gladly answered his question.

If she had still been behind him.

While the guard was a daydreamer, the little wizard was very easily distracted. While he had tried to get through this as fast as possible, she had stopped to look at everything.

A man hitting metal to make a sword almost burnt himself as he turned around and was met by a little girl. He allowed her to watch for a moment, though, before her attention was quickly drawn by the food.

She gave a man a little of the money she was given and got herself some sweets of a cart before seeing some street performers.

"Wow!" She gasped, then ran right up to them, sticking the fruit in her over-sized pockets. They were dancers and those who perform daring stunts such as juggling flaming torches. She grinned, deciding she wanted to join. She ran right in, catching a few of the performers off guard but since she looked like nothing more than a child, they only thought it was cute and decided to let her join. She giggled then slammed the end of her staff on the ground, making it light up as if it was on fire, then she started to spin it. If there was one thing a wizard knew how to do besides magic, it was how to use a staff. As she spun and twirled the object, it made a line in the air around her creating all kinds of designs. Once she felt she had made enough she stopped, then sent all the lines straight up into the air where they all collided and went off like a fire work.

Got to love Gandalf.

Hyano set off a few more displays. The performers were not complaining, considering the people were paying out more for the little girl's performance. She stopped when she saw the guard, though, and grinned.

"Hey!" She called, then waved to the other people and bowed to the crowd before running up to him. "Oh, this city is so much fun! I saw a guy hitting some metal with a hammer. And have you tried this fruit? It doesn't grow where I'm from but it is really good." She said, holding out some of the grapes from her pocket. She lived in a forest. Grapes don't grow in the forest. Not very often anyway. "Oh! And these people! They are so much fun too. They get paid to just play in the middle of the street! Isn't that wonderful?" She said with a grin up at him. She had no idea the kind of stress she just put the poor guard through. She was currently too excited to really notice.

All the guard could do was stand there as the wizard talked, drowning out first what she said, his hands formed into fists, holding himself back to scream and tell her he had been looking for her all over the place. However he now saw why she was the one they sent to be the court wizard.

She was very much like their king.

Just listening to her excited tone and the way she found interest in mostly many things made her so much like him. He is just as easily distracted and forgets everything around him if he sees something that suits his taste. Like that one time when they had an emissary come to them, he was talking to him about their land and important matters when their ruler decided that the golden ring of the person was simply more interesting and waved him over, paying no heed anymore to the man but the ring had all his attention. He was a strange one but at least not a strict king. This little wizard will surely be able to entertain him enough.

"Come... It is time you get to the king..." Not wishing to lose her from his sight anymore the guard reached out and grasped her arm, hauling her with him this way. "The man was a blacksmith, making armor, weapons or anything metallic people need." He decided to answer her comments one by one, just to keep her interest and she won't try to get away from him. "The fruit is a grape, growing on the hills right there." He pointed towards the rather green hills beyond the city walls. They were all planted by grape vines in a row. "You either eat them or make wine out of them..."

Hyano yelped as she was grabbed but quickly switched it so she was holding his hand. Anyone who saw them could easily think she was the guard's daughter, though, they may wonder why he would let her dress in such an odd way. She listened to what he had to say about the things she had seen and grinned.

"Wine? Can I try some? These grapes are very tasty. I bet wine is too." She said, not knowing that wine was very much an adult's drink.

When they got to the castle, the wizard whistled as her eyes followed the structure upwards. She may have fallen over if it wasn't for the fact she was holding the guard's hand.

"Wow... that's the castle? It is so big! How does the king not get lost?" She asked, used to living in a shack. There weren't any real rooms in her home. just one really big one that had her bed, clothes, food and so on all in it. This also answered the guard's earlier question. She was going to need shown where to go or she was very likely not going to even make it to her destination.

Sighing once, the guard turned to her and was about to ask if she can go and see the king on her own but her awe and question gave him the impression that her answer might be a no.

"Ehm... He knows the palace as the back of his hand... you will too... one day." He said, then sighed again gesturing for her to follow him but only after a few steps, he simply went to grasp her arm again. He just knew she will get lost again... "Let's get you to the king. After this, you are his problem and his steward's... and his personal guards'..." He wasn't exactly finding any fun in escorting a child around. He wanted to get back to the gates and do nothing again. Because there was nothing to do... He went up the steps, gesturing for the guards to open the doors and led her inside.

What greeted the wizard was a rather large hall, decorated with armor, weapons and a fountain was right in the middle. From the balconies the flags of Dale were hung to hide the upper empty walls. There were also some green flowers, smaller trees were put in some places to give more variety to the decorations.

The guard led her though this hall and went through large double-doors, which led to a long hall, lined by a long red carpet. To the end of that two heavy armored guards stood who opened the doors which led to the throne room...

Well... The empty throne room...

Hyano's eyes wandered as she was dragged along, the colors and fancy look of the halls easily catching her green eyes. She blinked as she noticed the throne room, then looked around for a moment. Even someone who had never been in a throne room could figure out what it was used for. She leaned up and whispered to the guard.

"I'm sorry to tell you... but the king isn't here." She told him, thinking he might have gotten lost and taken her to the wrong place.

The guard's gaze shifted as well and looked around as the wizard did, stepping forward to get a better look. As she addressed him, he sighed and looked down at her with an annoyed expression.

"Trust me, I can see that as well." He informed her, before walking forward, releasing the girl's arm and went towards the throne, wanting to see if there is anyone he could ask about the sudden disappearance of their king and... his steward. He turned to the right when he saw another guard enter from a different door, not seeming distressed or concerned about all this. Or he didn't notice? He inquired about the king's whereabouts from him but apparently he doesn't hold the answer either. Must be a common thing as it seemed. The guard reached up and scratched his head before turning back to the wizard. "Ehm... well... Perhaps wait here or look around... He will come soon I think or you could find him somewhere else... I really need to get back to my post..." He said, not wanting to spend more time with the hyperactive wizard, or having to chase her around to make sure she stays put. He didn't care what she does at this point. "Good day. And good luck." With this, he vanished rather suddenly through the doors they came from, quickly running towards the entrance of the palace.

Hyano blinked at his sudden departure, then shrugged. Oh well. She guessed she could keep herself busy until the king got back. She started walking around the throne room, looking over everything for a moment. Once she had completely inspected everything there was, she then all of a sudden ran up to the throne and sat on it. It was far too big for the little wizard, her feet didn't even go over the edge, however she didn't seem to mind. She giggled, then started to pretend to give out orders and such, pretending she was the king. Well, what would one do if one was a child and the king wasn't around? She started waving her staff around as if it was a scepter and waved as if there were a huge number of people in the room and not just a child and some guards.

As she played, some guards came and went from the room, all turning their head to look at the girl but didn't seem to acknowledge her. They didn't even want to know who she was. Their king might have hired her for something, while some were actually informed who she might be. Their king did request a court wizard and her clothes told them she was one. If not, then she is just a child who is playing around. Or their ruler told her to sit there... Who knows? After a while the patrol of guards became less and less, they all having done their early shifts and now are all switching to their regular ones where they came around the throne room less frequently. Mostly because they didn't want to become victims to their king's crazy antics.

Hyano eventually lost interest in the throne room altogether. She looked around until she found the door leading out and started making her way down the hall.

"Mister King!" She called as she walked. This felt like a game of hide and seek to her and wondered what she would get if she won. She grinned at the idea, then started running. Whenever there was something in the hall, a guard or an object of some kind, she would make a point of jumping over or rolling under it just for the fun of it. She scared one guard when she threw her staff over his head, then slid between his legs before catching her staff again and continuing to run. She was having a rather fun time though, so she wasn't really worried about it. As long as she didn't actually hit anyone it wouldn't be a problem. Right?

Just as she was about to pass a rather large decorative foliage a hand shot out and grabbed the back of her robe, pulling her right behind it and inside the arms of the person who grabbed her. His clothes could tell her he was a noble but was too simple to say anything else. He cupped her mouth with a hand and hushed her, revealing his dark -almost black- short hair and the goatee that decorated his chin, putting a finger to his lips. He was hiding. However before she could ask anything, he gestured forward, telling her silently to look.

Just as she did, another man, a much older grey haired, slim man walked into the room, his sharp eyes sweeping the room, but could not find the target he was looking for. He walked slowly about.

"Are you in here? I know you are... Come out..." He shouted in an almost scolding tone but had a slight respective one to it. He turned around and walked backwards before walking forward again, not leaving the vicinity.

Hyano looked up at him, then at the old man who seemed to be looking for the person holding her. She tilted her head slightly as she pondered about it. She wondered for a moment who this old man was, let alone the man holding her. She thought for a moment, then pulled the man's hand off of her mouth. She mouthed some words and pointed a hand towards the door where she came from.

Out of nowhere a gust of wind made the large door slam shut.

The old man of course caught the sudden movement of the door and the rather loud noise it made and instantly turned around, walking towards it and opened it, going out and closed it swiftly despite his age.

The man who was holding the wizard however was cautious and didn't move for a few more minutes, only when he thought the coast was clear did he peek out of the heavy foliage and stood, pulling the child right with him. He took a deep breath and exhaled, seemingly relieved.

"Thank you, lass. I know he would have seen me if it wasn't for you. But I know he will come back! Come! Hurry!" He chuckled and grabbed her hand, pulling her with him as he ran across the room towards the door opposite of the one the old man left from. It led to rather pretty garden under the sky. It was full with various colorful flowers, fruit trees, herbs, whatever one can find in a climate that of the kingdom. He didn't stop though to let her look around but threw himself right into the foliage here, running through the garden towards the middle of it.

Hyano grinned as she was complimented but before she could say anything she was tugged yet again, this time into a garden. It was very pretty and reminded her a little bit of her forest, only with a lot less trees and more plants she didn't know so well. She ran with him, grasping his hand tightly. She wasn't sure where exactly this man was taking her but boy was she having fun so far. She wondered who he was. He was noble for sure. Even she could see that. Well, she wasn't for sure about it, seeing she had never met a noble before so she could be mistaken. The wizard decided she would find out soon enough though.

"Where are we going?" She asked the man curiously as they made their way to the middle of the garden.

"You will see." Came the hasty reply from the man as he pulled her with him, extending a hand in front of him, already knowing where to block branches and where to step over roots of trees or pretty flowers. He moved around the garden as if he knew it like the back of his hand.

And apparently he did.

After a few more minutes he stopped in his track and let his eyes wander up to the large old oak tree that was in the middle of the garden. He grinned before looking at the little girl, then let her go.

"We are here!" He said and walked up to it, grasping the lower branches he quickly climbed. He wasn't complaining about the height but kept going until he reached a comfortable height. There, the man sat down and surveyed the area, smiling, feeling accomplished. "He never comes in the garden, at least not this far."

Hyano blinked a few times, then used her staff to launch herself up into the tree before climbing the rest of the way up until she was eye level with the man. She had to be on a slightly higher branch for that but she made it all the same.

"Who was that? And if you don't mind me asking who are you?" She asked, then remembered her manners. "Oh I am sorry. My name is Hyano. I'm the new court wizard." She introduced herself, kicking her feet off the side of the branch she was sitting on with her staff at her side. She hoped she hadn't just helped an evil man. Very good way to meet the king. Right after helping a bad man get away and climb into a tree in the royal garden. Just perfect.

The man's eyes found her as he heard her title, finally being able to look at her more. Before he was too busy to get away from that older man to notice anything about her. Now that he looked at her, he was able to see the unique robe the wizard's tend to wear.

"Oh, that was my steward... He wanted to give me his... morning report. Seriously... if there is no attack or party going on in the city, I don't want to listen to all this boring news about the number of my army, what happened around those useless nobles or being dragged to those... army inspections. Seriously... they can all stand there looking tough without me..." He started going on, complaining about that old man, who was his steward and forced him to 'behave' like he should. However he was failing miserably.

"Oh, I am Ren by the way... And you are... my new wizard! Congratulations!"

_"Are you sure you are my wizard?"_

"_Young people are supposed to be small…. They said I would like you because you are a lot of fun."_

…

…

"I grew up in here, I will show you around. Just a few important rooms... everything else is boring anyway." With this, the young king stood up, adjusted his clothes before putting his hands behind his back and stepped forward into the air and vanished, falling down. Anyone who saw it would think he had a death wish and committed suicide by stepping down, but he knew better. He landed instead on a branch lower and jumped down from branch to branch before landing on the ground. "Follow me!" He said and took on a rather comical noble pose, strutting forward like it would be expected of him... or more of his servants in his presence and walked through the garden."You already know the garden. This is where I come when I run from my steward. He doesn't come here. He hates dirt... this is why I sometimes place a bucket of dirt above his door. One more hour to hide." He chuckled, then proceeded opening a door, which led to the same hall where the young wizard was before he met her. "I call this 'The Hall'. This is where I mostly greet important guests. If I am not running from my steward. And of course all the plants are amazing hiding places." Then losing his noble pose, he ran up to the fountain in the middle of the hall. "And this is 'The Fountain'. I am planning to get myself some fish within here."

"Oh you are about to become a water king now." Hyano said, then took her staff and splashed the water at Ren. By the time they finished this and started the kings other work she was sure they would be soaking wet. At least that was her plan at this point.

Just as the wizard predicted, they were dripping from water as they made their way through the halls, their shoes making squeaking sounds, also filled with water, leaving a trail behind them. The king of course wasn't mad. It was amazing. He rarely had anyone around him who didn't get offended by his games.

The guards who lined the halls only stared at them but decided not to ask. Why ask anyway? They knew it wasn't their business and as long as their king isn't crying for them, he is alright.

Ren was leading Hyano now to the room where she will be staying at, having already prepared it for the oncoming wizard. A wizardy room. He opened the door to her quarters and walked inside, standing in the middle of the living room with his hands on his hips, satisfied with the work that was done on it. It was actually modest, nothing too vibrant or colorful. The living room was rather large, it also possessed any imaginable equipment and wizard might need for their work. Anything for making potions, practicing spells, making experiments, and so on. Her bedroom and bathroom had their own separate doors as well. Her bathroom was that of simple needs, her bedroom was also modest, decorated with flowers and plants in pots, with a large window which was open right now. There were plenty wardrobes and shelves to store her items on or in, also plenty space to run around if she wished.

Hyano's jaw dropped.

"Th-this is all for me?" She asked, her green eyes looking up at him in surprise. "This is bigger than my house!" She yelled with a huge grin before she started running around. She was touching and inspecting everything. When she got to the bed she quickly kicked off her wet shoes and jumped right on it, jumping up and down and doing flips in the air. "This...bed... is... so... BOUNCY!" She squealed before landing on her back with a laugh.

The king watched her with a big and bright smile as she ran around, feeling excited as well and happy that she liked what she saw. He did think that a wizard likes to be useful and likes to mess around with herbs, potions, spells and the like, so the wizard who comes surely would appreciate this room. And well... she does. While he was a rather... immature leader as people liked to put it, he was rather well educated about the needs of certain classes and knew exactly how to make people happy, if he so decided. He wasn't dumb either. He just liked fun is all. He knew the importance of having a court wizard, so did not hesitate to equip this room to their needs. He went after her as she bounced on her new bed, chuckling and tilting his head up and down as she jumped.

The orange istar then jumping off and running back to him.

"Are you sure this is all for me? I can share with other people. There is plenty of room. I won't mind." She said bounding on the balls of her feet in excitement.

Ren raised an eyebrow as she talked, having trouble understanding her she was talking so fast.

"What? No... It is all yours." He said finally when his mind replayed her words and understood her question. "Just the best for my court wizard! Who is not as grumpy as I thought it would be and neither is she offended by my antics."

Hyano grinned up at him, then jumped up on the bed again putting down her staff for the moment. She then jumped off of it and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you so very much! I will do my very best for you, Ren. I promise."

…

…

"I'm not sure about other kings. Are they as much fun as you?"

"Hmm..." Ren had to think briefly at her question. If other kings are as much fun as him? He doubted that. He did receive letters from some of them and all seemed all too royal, showing off how well they can create incomprehensible extremely long sentences. He always left these letters to his steward. He wasn't one to write royal letters.

"I don't think. All of them seem too royal to me. They think games aren't for kings or their offspring, they think them childish or something for the lower class." He told her in an annoyed tone, not pleased that he can't share his activities with any other royals. Well, however he wasn't exactly interested in talking about the other kings. He didn't want to end up having to list who he knew or tell where he met them, because truth is he never met any of them. They just wrote letters sometimes which he rarely understood. "Let's go and see if my steward got the fish. If not, scare him with a dragon!" He chuckled and took off towards the hall, stepping into the large room, he went for the fountain. His eyes searched the water and finding nothing, he pouted. "No fish..."

Hyano pouted at this. Why was the steward being so stubborn about this? She jumped off of Ren's shoulders, landing on the edge of the fountain with one of her hands on her non-existent hip.

"Why is your steward so mean? Does he not like fish or something?" She asked cutely, then looked around. "Where is he anyway? I want to give the big old meany head a piece of my mind." She said trying to look intimidating and mad but all it did was look cute on someone of her size.

Ren crossed his arms at first, nodding to the words of the wizard, agreeing that the old steward must be not as fond of the pretty fish. He was even sure he is the one who picks them out as well. He wondered if he is throwing them out or actually bringing them back from where he got them. He shifted his gaze to Hyano after this and noticed her stance and expression. He couldn't help but chuckle, then laugh, his shoulders shaking slightly with the motion. Then suddenly launched forward and hugged the little cute thing.

"Aw you are just too funny." He chuckled, then let her go, lifting her big wizard hat he ruffled her hair, then put it back. "How about we give him a scare?

"Can you do... a water dragon?"

…

…

Hyano walked about the hallway, murmuring a few words of a book she read in the morning, having studied a little to keep up with her promise of being a good court wizard for the king. But really… being at the maturity level of a child made it hard to keep doing that for too long. She was growing restless. Her train of thoughts was interrupted when Ren's form appeared in her field of vision as he stood at one of the windows, clearly relaxing, just enjoying the scenery. She couldn't help but smirk, then stalked forward for a while and once she was close enough, she used magic to launch herself into the air and tackled him from behind.

"Grr!" She cried out like she was an animal that just caught its prey and not just some child wizard.

Ren's eyes widened at the sudden scare and yelped, pushing away from the window he was standing at and backing away, not wanting to fall out of it. After he spotted the arms of the child wizard he closed his eyes and gave a large sigh of relief. He actually was scared for a moment there, or more... surprised. He turned his head to look for her face, then narrowed his eyes at her, which got more serious with each second. Slowly, he reached up and grasped her arms which were around his neck and held them. Not a moment after, a smirk appeared on his face and suddenly jerked her away, he turned around and pushed her closer to him where he began his assault. He started ticking her everywhere he could get her.

"Revenge is soooo sweet!" He shouted, chuckling as he tickled her sides and stomach, trying to keep his hold on her.

Hyano blinked, thinking she was in trouble for a minute. She hadn't seen him serious before but was quickly proven wrong as he started to tickle her. She squealed and started to trash around in his arms while also trying not to hurt the king. This had been the last thing she expected. A tickle torture. No! She laughed and tried to cover up her sides with her hands.

"Haha! No no! Stop it! Haha!" She cried out but did not say anything about giving up. She refused to say such words. A wizard never gave up. Ever!

Ren however didn't know mercy! He could be ruthless when he wanted to be and quite stubborn. He chuckled and continued his assault, more laughing at the way she was laughing than anything else. He kept tickling her, while the servants just shook their head at the laughing duo, trying to get used to them playing and fooling around.

Hyano laughed, then finally kicked off of his chest, landing roughly on the floor. She didn't seem to either notice or care, though, as she rolled on the floor laughing. She then smirked before tackling the king and tried to tickle him back. It was well known that most adults were not ticklish but she didn't count the king as much of an adult anyway. She assumed he was just a big child. He had to be ticklish... right?

Ren gasped as he was tackled, siding on the floor a little as he landed on his back, then did everything in his power to keep her from doing revenge. He laughed as she tickled him, being ticklish himself. Of course he could easily win the upper hand again by rolling over but that wouldn't be fair. He knew he could easily overpower her but wanted the fun to last. He tried to defend his sides and stomach but her smaller hands easily got through the gaps and did their work. Eventually, he gasped and laughed, giggling.

"Alright alright... You win! Just stop!" He said, almost curling up on the floor.

Hyano giggled and laughed. Just watching someone laugh was enough to make the little girl laugh as well. When he finally caved, she threw her hands in the air.

"Victory for the little people!"

…

…

Hyano was in the king's hall hiding behind her friend's chair.

They had been playing hide and seek for about a half hour now. Mostly they were trying to find each other while also avoiding that annoying assistant of his. It had gotten to be a lot of fun, hiding from two people at once. What is better?

However their game was about to come to a very quick end.

A guard walked into the throne room with a man behind him. This man was tall yet thin, his face long yet it seemed he hadn't eaten in years. His teeth were long, yellow, and slightly jagged. He wore a hat that kept his eyes and upper face in shadow. He wore clothes of a dirty blood color, and in his hand was a rather large black sack which jangled with many items it seemed.

When they came to a stop he looked around.

"It seems he is not here." He said, his gaze -not seen by anyone- moved from one corner of the room to the other, only able to see the small wizard nearby.

Hyano gasped and covered her ears. His voice felt like nails on a chalk board. Why was this man's voice so painful?!

The guard looked to the man not seemed bothered by his voice. "Don't worry. He will be here soon. He tends to blow through, though."

Ren in the mean time was still at the fountain, searching for the wizard there, since they started this game here and thought she hid in that room. Licking his lips, he jumped behind a pillar, thinking he just saw her there...

Hmm... Maybe not.

The king pouted and sighed in disappointment before his wide smile returned in an instant, turning on his heels to search again. His dark gaze traveled the room before giving up here. Not even a noise. She wasn't giggling... The king then stalked up to the ajar door to the throne room and peeked inside slowly and silently.

What the? Who is that?

Ren tilted his head to the side slightly in curiosity and mild confusion, his mind working hard to try and find a resemblance to any of his servants. However, as it was, he lost interest in the man rather quickly and stalked inside, jumping to hide behind a pillar, just so Hyano won't see him if she was here. He didn't want to give away his position now did he? Of course the two people might have seen him and he hoped dearly they will not blow his cover.

The man did seem to notice as he tilted his head towards the King's hiding place. And a grin spread over his lips. He slowly walked over towards Ren's location with a large yellow smile spreading across his lips, then leaned close to the pillar.

"Behind the throne." He whispered. He seemed to know how to put a quick end to whatever these two were up to.

Hyano could not hear him yet she still felt the scratching of his voice against her eardrums. Who was this man?

The moment he heard the man talk to him the king narrowed his eyes and stood tall, facing the parson.

"Hey!" He shouted, clearly offended by the sudden help he received. "It's not fair! You took away the fun!" He lectured him as if the man did a great crime against him, like… stealing from the treasury or one of his prized weapons. After the initial anger was gone, Ren suddenly tilted his head to the side in curiosity at the man. "Who are you by the way? You stink..." He said, not at all hiding the fact what he felt and grimaced, moving away from him and went towards the throne. "Who is this, Beor?" Ren asked the guard, knowing him by the name before finally reaching the throne but instead sitting on it as one would expect, he quickly jumped up on it and peered over it at the wizard. "Mean person helped... But still got you!" He exclaimed happily and grinned before finally sitting down, crossing his arms over his chest as he once more focused on the man with interest... Though he couldn't hide his slight disgust at his looks. But a king must do what he has to do. No one will be ignored when they come to him.

The man only smiled at the king's reply and watched him for a moment, stepping back.

When Hyano was let in on the fact her hiding spot was found because someone had helped, she pouted a little before climbing up over the top of the throne before landing on the king's lap. The moment she saw the man she was made uneasy.

The man's grin only grew as he saw the istar. As if he knew some secret he wasn't going to tell.

"Do not worry, Your Majesty. I will not be here long. I am but a humble merchant who sells to a rather high class." He said, then reached behind himself and pulled what looked like a wooden easel but he tapped it on the ground and it folded out into a wooden table. He then started to pull out various objects. All of which were interesting and different but one stood out among the rest.

A shining ring. So small yet it seemed to stand out among everything.

Hyano's eyes caught the object and felt something in her heart... Something unnerving.

The king watched the man, now finding slight interest in his presence as he started putting out all the shining trinkets. His eyes gleamed when he leaned forward, minding his wizard of course. His eyes almost sparkled when he saw all the gold, decorated with fine gems... So alluring. He normally didn't buy anything from people, just looked and played with them until he lost interest. Rubbing his hands together, he gestured for Hyano to stand up before he did as well and walked closer to the table.

"Shiny golden trinkets. I love these..." He admitted, smiling brightly at the so tempting golden and silver jewelry. The moment the simple looking gold ring landed on the table, the king's gaze was instantly on it, his eyes glued to it, unable to look away. He didn't know why either. It didn't gleam the way the others did... It didn't have shiny gems... But... it seemed tempting... as if... he heard a whisper... calling to him... But... how does this mysterious whisper know his name?

"Ah, it seems you have an interest in my little ring. It is not worth much. I might be tempted to be rid of it for free... On the condition that you let me return." He said with a grin as he seemed to watch the king without really being able to see his eyes.

Hyano felt so uneasy. What was wrong here? She grabbed the king's hand and pulled on it just slightly to catch his attention. She felt something was wrong… Something was terribly wrong and she didn't want her friend to be affected by it.

"Ren... I don't think this is a good idea." She told him, clutching his hand tightly. She was scared. Something about all this... It was not right. Every time that man spoke she would feel more and more horrible. It made her feel almost dizzy.

"But..." Ren hummed as he inched closer, leaning more towards the ring, almost forgetting to blink for a whole minute. "I am not even sure if..." He trailed off, suddenly forgetting what he was about to say and reached forward towards the ring, wanting to touch it... to feel it... to hear those whispers closer. There was also something else... Something that made his heart beat faster, his muscles ache... He felt power and something mysterious... He wanted to see it from close up. He didn't even hear his wizard's warning or feel her tug.

The ring held all his attention.

The man only grinned at the child's attempt to stop the king. He stepped away from the ring and towards the child, allowing the king to be left alone with the artifact.

The girl gulped and moved closer to Ren, practically hiding behind his leg.

"R-Ren I'm scared." She said, her voice wavering and weak while her wide green eyes stared at the man. It was the first time she had ever felt scared in her life and she wasn't sure why.

"You should, child." The man said, kneeling down. Despite him being so close the girl she still couldn't see his face. He reached out and with one swift move he took her hand. A shock of dark energy ran through the istar and before she knew what happened she was out cold. "Don't worry, child... I will be back for you in the future." He said with a grin, then stood up and looked towards the king.

_"So... do we have a deal?" _

_"Ehm... What kind of deal again?"_

_"Simple. This little ring in exchange you allow me to return._ _Does it sound fair enough? Or shall I take my things and my ring and be on my way?"_

_"Deal."_

_"…and now the game begins."_

* * *

Hyano's green eyes opened with a start and she sat up swiftly, panting, exhausted. Sweat covered her form while she shook, clearly still under the effect of what she saw. Her mind was hazy, unable to process what was revealed to her and why… The wizard shook her head and clutched it with both of her hands, letting some tears stream down her cheeks.

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**We hope you liked this chapter.**

_CA Productions_


	5. The Bet

**Avp: Wednesdays are amazing, aren't they?**

**Cubby: I like Thursdays more.**

**Avp: Oh? Why?**

**Cubby: Cause I get to do this! *Falls over with a loud thud.***

**Avp: Gah?! *Runs over to check on her.* Oh Vala! Hyano I think your creator just died!**

**Hyano *Blinks and walks over while eating a chocolate bar* Nah. She is just sleeping.**

**Avp: What? How can you tell? She hasn't made a so- *Stops s Cubby starts snoring like a screeching Wraith.* Oh… ok then.**

**Ren: *Pops his head in.* Did someone call me?**

**Cubby: ZZZzzzZZZzzzZZZzzz**

**Avp: Well um… Enjoy the next chapter!**

_CA Productions_

* * *

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Chapter 5 - The Bet

Hyano jumped awake from her dream, sweating and tired as if it was a nightmare... She felt her limbs were numb, her mouth was dry, her throat hurt as if she was screaming the whole night… Or was she holding back tears? Tears that escaped upon being caught up on this dream? Was it even a dream?

Or was it a memory?

While Ren had acquired power from the wizard she had acquired something else. His aura worked at the spell as she slept, making her mind run through memories as if they were nothing more than a dream. However, they were far too vivid. She also noted she saw that man again. The king. She was again little, playing with him but then her mind ran through a series of events...

All ending in tragedy.

She gripped her fists. She may not remember everything from their second meeting... but her memory of the first meeting was clear as day. She looked around the dark room noting that Ren wasn't there. He must have woken a while ago. Even if he had slept the full 5 hours he still would have woken before she did. She stood up and walked up stairs a little groggy but fine. It seemed the magical relationship they had worked a lot like an electrical current. Break the current and both parts get weak, however keep them together and they stay strong.

It wasn't hard for her to find the wraith.

The wizard looked at what was left of the body. He might as well be burger meat at this point. She shuddered, then looked towards Ren, standing, leaning against the door.

"... Do you remember anything before you became a wraith?" She asked him, not bothering to say 'good morning' since for him mornings were never really a good thing.

Ren was of course not aware of this happening. He didn't feel his own aura doing anything to her. At least not anymore. The body was actually already almost completely scattered around. Its pieces were lying about, the bones broken at places. The only thing that gave away that it was actually a body were the protruding ribs that stood out; otherwise it was just a heap of flesh and blood. He had been busy through the night and morning. Of course he also was smeared with the blood by now, but not as badly... Strange. The Nazgul just stopped briefly for a moment when she spoke up, averting his attention from his work, watching the wizard before continuing where he left off.

"No." He replied curtly, before running his 'claws' between the ribs, cutting the flesh there. "I don't need those memories. They are useless." For him, they meant nothing. He cannot use them to anything at all, much less utilize them for something. The only things he remembered from all that past life were the skills and techniques in fighting. He remembered every hour of training and lessons, with each weapon and each teacher he had. But otherwise... nothing.

Hyano sighed and watched him, wrinkling her nose a little at the sight of the work he is doing.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who forgot someone." She said as she stepped back. To him the memories were useless, however for her... until that horrible day, those memories had meant quite a bit. It was sad that they had to be taken away but she understood why. She was too young and the loss of someone she considered a dear friend had been far too much for the young istar to take on. She had not reacted well to it at all and so the memories of it were taken away from her. Part of her wished she could have kept those memories because might have helped her. She could have learned from them and many mistakes could have been avoided. However it was far too late now. "Tell me when you are finished. I need to clean up at some point." She said as she walked off to the kitchen, wanting to get herself something to eat. Well… if she could after all that she saw.

Ren didn't think about it much. Yes, he probably forgot quite many people from his past but that he might have known her... that didn't even cross his mind. He did tilt his head to the side at her comment on it but decided to let it go. There was no point in asking. He wasn't denying after all. He knew he forgot much and admits it and he also knows these memories are forever lost, never to be retrieved. However, when she said she wanted to clean up, he stopped what he was doing. Finished? He will never be finished. He wanted to keep the body... even if it looked like this for many weeks to come, until he needed to hunt again.

"Clean up? He asked, having stopped his work, he looked around the bathroom. Well... if she really wanted to clean up, it will take a while to do so... From the floor to the ceiling, everything was bloody and pieces of the body were scattered around. Also, there was the living room, where a nice blood trail leads to the bathroom... and the bloody pieces of clothing... flesh parts he tore there already...

Hyano shook her head with a sigh as she stepped out.

"Yes. I kind of would like to take a shower sooner or later." She pointed out as she came back with a water bottle. "If you wanted to keep the body it might have made more sense to mutilate it in the basement rather than my bathroom." She added as she took a drink of the cold substance. She was half relaxed at the moment while her mind kept buzzing, sorting through the new information she now knew. She came to a realization quick. Ren was a prick of a human too. It was far more funny back then but he was still a royal prick.

The wraith shook his head.

"My bathroom." Ren corrected her. "And I didn't choose the location. He crawled here." In addition, he lacked the patience to wait only for a moment longer to tear at his flesh and he just wasn't thinking. One cannot blame him. He didn't hunt for thousands of years. He couldn't smell blood for so long... "And the basement is too small and all my things are there." He didn't want to splatter them with blood. Some of those items are sensitive. After giving the body one more glance, the Nazgul finally moved away from it, walking into the living room, where he settled down on the couch, turning his gaze to the black box and the cartoon it showed.

What a good timing. That show is on again!

Hyano giggled lightly.

"It would be interesting to see you pay a bill." She said to herself, then looked at the mess. "Alright... let's see if I remember it." She said, then closed her eyes before whispering a spell. She opened her eyes to see if it worked but sadly, all the blood along with the mess was still there where Ren left them. Seems like magic is harder to use every day and she didn't use this particular spell in a long time. Hyano did not want to waste more energy in trying to get rid of it all… Seems like she will have to pick up a rug and begin to clean the good old way... As long as the blood was gone, that would make the whole ordeal easier in the end.

Between two screams of the creatures the wraith heard her muttering to herself, or thought she was talking to him and tilted his head to the side, for now focusing on her again.

"A bill?" He asked, watching her. "What is a bill?" Of course when he was around five thousand years ago he didn't need to pay anything for existing or living in his own territory. So, it was a new word he didn't know. He also watched as she tried to use her magic again, which pulsated through the air for a moment, making the wraith shiver at the magic, his own soul going to the defensive and watched as... it disappeared as soon as it came. The Nazgul tilted his head to the side when he saw her pick up some kind of fabric and began to clean it herself. He stared at the slowly partially cleaned room, his hooded head turning from one place to the other, not wanting to believe what is just happening. He liked the blood... Maybe it didn't have the most pure scent but it was alright... "I advise you leave the body in the bathroom alone..." While his tone was even, it did carry the threat. That was his and anyone who dares to alter it, will die a horrible death.

"As long as you keep it out of my way I won't touch it." Hyano told him as she walked into the living room, drinking her water. She was a little worn from cleaning but nothing she couldn't work her way through. She looked at him and thought for a moment. "The energy that makes the TV work costs money. The flowing water costs money and taxes are still a thing... a very annoying thing." She said a little annoyed by the fact. When she lived in the woods she had no idea what taxes were. She got a very rude wakeup call when she started living in an actual home and had to start going through that. She instantly hoped that such things would fade with time but she had no such luck. If anything, humans began asking for taxes at almost every moment of life and for almost anything one did.

To the Nazgul, this was something he couldn't understand, or simply didn't want to.

"Humans make you pay for basic needs?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, confusion was clear in all his features. "This is unacceptable!" He hissed, returning to watch the cartoon. "I am a Nazgul. Servant of the Dark Lord. Immortal ruler of darkness. I am not paying for anything on my own territory. If they want payment, they come and get it. If they dare." For him the whole concept was wrong. In Mordor no one had to pay for anything... Especially not him and his brothers. They are too high and important entities to be put into such situations.

"The Dark Lord is and has been gone for quite some time. No one knows who or what you are. The closest thing to a Nazgul anyone in this time knows about is an old ghost story. The reason you and your kin didn't pay anything is because you were the ones making everyone else pay. In this case... you aren't." Hyano pointed out to Ren before taking another chug of water just to almost chock herself on it at a rather gruesome scene in the show.

Bloody animals!

"What?" The wraith asked, almost offended, ignoring the black box for now. "We didn't make anyone pay anything. We wanted their lands, we wanted them to worship us but didn't make them pay anything. Even we didn't ask for such things." He explained to her, crossing his arms angrily. Where do mortals get this belief that they made people pay taxes? If they wanted their gold, they got all and didn't make them pay every month or every year. But the dark force didn't need gold. They didn't have a need for a financial system. Instead they all knew what their job was and did it without question. Not for gold. "They might maybe not know me now but dare they come for gold, I will give them a taste of my power." He said furiously. No. They won't get anything from him. This territory is now off-limit for those filthy and pathetic humans. Greedy as always. They won't live off of him for sure. He is greater than any of them.

Hyano debated on telling Ren about the many weapons they had created for problems much bigger than Ren but she assumed if he did get out of hand he would find out soon enough one way or another.

"I figured as much. Besides, they can't exactly tax someone they don't know exists so you are in the clear. I will handle that for the time being. It is why I own a series of stores after all." She replied, then noticed she ran out of water. "The water and electric bills make sense actually. Someone provides clean water and the energy and sells it. The taxes are to help pay for things in the city. Roads and so on. Since everyone uses them everyone has to pay. In a way it makes sense but that doesn't make it any more pleasant."

"Yes, but people work on the city and on the roads... So why do they need to pay for them if they are working on it?" The wraith asked, still not convinced that this was the best way to handle this whole world. Money is only restricting the lands... this is why Sauron's forces grew more and how fast everything got done. No need to collect money, everyone works and get food in return. "Everyone knows their own jobs and everyone keeps the city up... why do they need to pay? Everyone surely does something. Then they earn the food and... that... energy." For him it was just logical. Humans always had a bad way to live.

"Heh... It is an odd system but it has worked for quite some time now." Hyano pointed out. He was right. It would be nice if everyone could just work and understand their place, however humans throughout history have proven they are very selfish and need to get something for their work besides just food. They would also hoard it much like Ren would hoard things. They all wanted to have more than the other. It could be depressing but there were still some that had a good heart and seeing those always made Hyano smile.

"We shall see..." The Nazgul commented, before deciding to go back to the cartoon. He couldn't see how this system could truly work. People work on the city and create the food, then they have to pay themselves so they can work on it more? How was it again? He failed to see the logic... But oh well... Mortals always liked to over-complicate things. This is why they never truly got anywhere. He wondered how many new inventions would be there if his Lord would be about...

Hyano shrugged.

"Not likely. We will be gone way before the humans break themselves. Trust me. They have gone through two world wars, committed genocide more than once and blown themselves up who knows how many times. Yet somehow they are still going. Considering the maximum time I have left here is maybe two years at best I doubt we will get to see their world crumble." She said honestly, then stood up. Some of the things man put themselves through made her wonder if Sauron had just turned into an essence that now lived inside them. They did such horrible things to each other that she was sure only the Dark Lord could be behind it. However she knew better.

As much as she would like to not admit it, this was the nature of man.

The Nazgul kept his gaze on her, resuming his confused gaze and not only because he didn't understand much of that. What did she mean by 'they will be gone'? Does she mean that they will cease existing before the mortals kill themselves... or will they leave the world and go to the new one? Did she truly mean 'them' or was this just the way it came out? But no matter. The way she talked to him yesterday, it was obvious she wasn't planning anything with him. But there was something else that stood out to him.

"Mortals are pathetic. They fight against each other, making themselves weak. We were better. The dark forces never rebelled against each other but knew which side we are on. Humans were so loud about honor and dignity. Yet we had more than them in the past five thousand years."

Hyano noticed his confusion but when he chose to make a statement instead of asking about it she just shrugged it off. She thought about it for a moment before nodded. Some of what he said was true. While she would never welcome a takeover of the darkness… she had to admit humans left on their own had a habit of creating a darkness all of their own. While Sauron wished to rule the world there was some balance to him. He did not have chaos in his own ranks. It was always an outside source that ended up beating him. However in the matter of honor... that could be questionable. One could not say that the dark forces worked for Sauron out of honor. They did it because they had no other choice, so they were in a way without any honor to start with.

"Men have their good points as well, though. They have created many solutions without the use of magic, learned much all on their own, while I can't say they are a perfect race... they may just push themselves to perfection one day." She concluded with a weak smile as she raised a hand absentmindedly to the wound on her shoulder. Her healing is progressing.

"Not if they destroy themselves first. I have seen many things." Ren said and gestured towards the black box, meaning he had seen the news all too many times in the past few days and had enough proof that the destruction is way more forward than that 'perfection' she was talking about. "They will never learn from their mistakes. They don't hesitate making it again or creating a new one. And that they created things to make up for magic? That is called adaptation. Good thing to see they are smart enough to develop that." He himself was adapting rather quickly to this new world of his, learned well and thoroughly what he needed for his life here and he didn't plan stopping. There is still much to learn, he knew that. But he won't start developing skills he won't need. "Before this 'perfection' happens this world will be recreated and I might see it again when magic comes back..." He knew from what she told him that he will end up as a stone statue anyway. They will just leave him be, forget about him, destroy themselves, then the Valar bring back magic to cleanse the world. This will be when he re-emerges. And everything shall restart.

"Ha!" Hyano couldn't help but laugh. He thought this was bad?! Ha!

"Hold on a second." She said, then got up and walked away. She came back and tossed a photo album onto the coffee table in front of him. "You think any of that is bad... looking at those." She said as she sat back down. "This is nothing. Humans have gotten somewhat better in the past couple hundred years... better compared to that anyway. Those pictures are from the last world war. Compared to today... that was insanity." She added.

"What is stopping them from doing the same?" Ren said before reaching out for the 'book' and flipped it open. He was surprised to see pictures, very well made ones at that. These were not paintings for sure, look too accurate and their surface was even, he found when he ran a metal-covered finger along one picture. He tilted his head to the side in curiosity. "How did they do these?" He asked, not sure how they could create such things. They are like... a moment of the past was captured and put on the picture... But no matter, for now, he looked through them. Many dead, mindless killings, blood, filth and no mercy. He should have been around at that time, he surely would have enjoyed this war. Pathetic how mortals handle each other. He couldn't fathom all this because to him fighting his own kin was unheard of. Well, fighting them this hard. They did clash a few times as well but never so seriously. "They will fight like this again. You will see. The tension is growing between kingdoms. I will never understand these pathetic mortals." He shook his hooded head almost pitifully. Humans will remain humans, the weakest race.

"It is called a photo." The orange wizard replied to his question and listened to his statement as she looked around for a moment before finding her camera. He was right in many ways. However, she had seen much good in humans as well. Those who did everything they could to stop fighting, to stop hate between cultures. "The good qualities of man just take longer to show."

The Nazgul shook his head. According to what she said so far, with all the world wars, they simply keep making the same mistakes. If the past five thousand years made them this way, they will never change at all. This is why they need a superior entity to control them. Like their Dark Lord. With his reign, such fights would be non-existent. He would have herded them towards this modern world in peace and most certainly much sooner than this.

Hyano smiled at seeing him become so engulfed into the photo album, so turned off the flash on the camera before taking a picture of him. It was a slightly older style camera so already it was spitting out the picture. It would just take a moment to be able to see it. She took the picture and waved it in the air for a second to help it develop before looking at it, then smiled and handed it to him.

"There ya go."

Ren was so engulfed in the pictures of war that he didn't notice she was doing something, only then did he look up when he heard the strange snapping noise and directed his invisible gaze towards the wizard. He tilted his head to the side at the... strange thing in her hands, then to the other side when she handed him a piece of paper. He looked at it... and... What? He stared at the picture that was made of him. This was the very first time he saw himself the way others do. He had no face on the picture... while he can see it when he looks into any reflective surface... This was strange. He poked at the picture a few times before returning to stare at Hyano, or... more the machine she had in her hands.

His gaze was fixed on it...

He wanted to see how it works...

Hyano noticed his all too intent gaze and sighed, knowing exactly what it meant.

"I only have one so do me a favor and don't take it apart. They don't even make cameras like these anymore." She told him before handing him the camera, not in the mood to fight. He could take as many pictures as he wanted. Film was not a hard thing to come by. However, the camera itself might as well be nonexistent at this point. She had tried more than a few times to find another one and even traveling far and wide but she still couldn't find one. Well she couldn't find one that wasn't on display somewhere in a history exhibit.

The Nazgul eagerly took the device and looked at it, flipping it around in his hands, looking at the shape and the many little details it showed. So... humans use this thing to capture those moments? Just like a painting just... smaller and more detailed? He wondered how it looked in the inside. How does it paint the pictures so fast? He knew it was fast because the moment he heard that snap, which surely was a sign of it being started, then in the next moment it gave the wizard the picture. There were a few small holes in it, which he didn't know what they are for.

"How does it work?" He asked, this time humoring her request and not pulling it apart. He might simply get the same result as with that phone. He still didn't know how it worked, just saw the many small parts. This time he wanted this to work, so he can annoy Hyano with it. With her being able to wake up at night closed out the little game they always played back then... he can't misplace her nor prepare anything for when she wakes up in the morning... he will have to find a new game...

Hyano thought for a moment about what to say. Well at least he wasn't taking it apart but how exactly should she explain how it works? The long version would just bore him so he wouldn't hear more than half of it.

"Um... Kind of the same way an eye does, only it just catches one moment of time, then it copies that moment on the paper there. Some cameras are made to record a series of moments. They are used to make videos." She said then walked over to the shelf beside the TV. She pulled out a video and popped it in. It was a horror flick. She assumed it might be one of the few things she had that he would for sure like.

Ren didn't even know how the eye of a person worked, let alone picture it how to this device works like that. So, it just... captures a moment. Just as he thought. This wasn't what he was asking for. It was obvious what it did. But how?

"No... How does it work?" He emphasized the word 'how', just what he wanted to know. She wasn't exactly helping him by comparing it with the eye. The fact that she told him there were other types made his attention switch to her as she moved to the black box and did something he couldn't quiet see before the show he was watching vanished and was replaced by something else, completely different. He watched as in this moment a human died, killed by another rather brutally... "Why would people want to capture how they kill each other?" He asked as he pointed at the screen, though he was not complaining at all. Of course he had no idea that it was all just made by actors, and instead thought that is a real situation. While killing in itself was not wrong for the wraith's moral, he still knew about Man and their… oh so honorable way of life.

Hyano giggled at this.

"It's fake, actually. Actors put on makeup and create the scenes with props." She replied as she sat down beside him to watch the movie. Freddy vs. Jason. A classic really, though, Hyano was more a zombie fan when it came down to horror movies.

Oh... so these humans aren't actually dying? Ren didn't know why, it made this whole thing boring... The other show he was watching didn't have real creatures either but was still entertaining and he enjoyed it. Maybe because his mind is fighting itself by seeing something real yet it isn't real? He didn't know. The Nazgul leaned back on the couch and went back to the camera, flipping it around again in his hands, pulling it closer sometimes to look at some details before losing interest and letting it sit on the couch, turning his attention to the movie instead.

He didn't understand these humans.

Why do they make so many things that have no true use to maintain their existence and lordship over the world? The wraith sighed, deciding to break his mind at a later time with these questions.

"Maybe I will take you to a movie screening some time so you can see for yourself." She concluded, her green eyes flickering to him for a moment, the returned to watch the movie. "It might also help with the camera question. It is a rather longwinded process despite it only taking a few seconds. Honestly, it would be easier to show you but the nearest photo shop I know of is across town and dressed as you are... I doubt we would make it that far without being spotted."

Ren looked at Hyano when she talked about a shop, and found interest in it to go there, only to drop it entirely when she mentioned his clothing again.

"My cloak stays. Not going to change it." He was as stubborn as one can be. Even if it spiked his interest he was too proud to switch to something those pathetic humans made... or to look less terrifying... or risk losing his form by taking off his clothing. Not a chance.

"Then you don't get to go." The orange wizard replied bluntly. "If you don't want to adapt that is your choice but you also are making the choice not to move forward. Time won't stop just because you are too stubborn to move with it." She added. She wasn't overly worried about it. If anything, him not changing his clothes was a good thing. It would make him rather easy to find if he ever decided to run off. There weren't many dark corners for him to hide in now days, even during the night. He had yet to really see how the world was lit up at night and once he did… he probably would be angry to say the least.

"I don't need to adapt." The Nazgul said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I am superior to them and they need to adapt to me in the end, I don't mind if they see me the way I am. They are to fear me and show me respect. I won't be hiding among them by copying them like a coward." He never wanted to copy those filthy mortals. He never wanted to look like them, doing that would be a display of his own fear or cowardice. If they wanted to see him, so be it. He won't be hiding away. Let them fear and flee in terror from him, or come closer in curiosity just to have their head severed. He might be going out hunting tonight while she slept. He gathered enough energy to move about, just need to rest for the day as well and not run around or go about the house.

Hyano couldn't help but shake her head. He was such a stubborn prick it wasn't even funny.

"Whatever you say, Ren." She said, thinking he would get a rude wakeup call sooner or later, likely when he got gutsy enough to go out on his own. She took the remote and turned off the video just to turn back on his show. She figured he would enjoy that better anyway. She glanced over at him, then back to the screen. Well... it was worth a try.

"You haven't changed much from when you were human. You had a very short attention span then too. It kind of worked against you when it came to getting your royal work done but when you got your mind stuck on something you normally saw it through." She said, awaiting a reaction from the wraith.

The Nazgul was pleased that she didn't press him further and fell silent and relaxed, adjusting his position on the couch a little, concentrating on what is going on in the black box, finding it amusing as one of the characters was ripped apart by an animal, screaming with fear and terror. This is what he liked.

"Hmm?" He hummed and looked at her as she started to make comments on how he was as a human... or... supposedly how he was. He tilted his head to the side, staring at her. "Maybe, maybe not... I don't know and I don't care. How would you know anyway?" He asked, not exactly interested in the subject but if she brought it up... why not? Is there something he needed to know?

Hyano looked up at him again, then back to the show.

"Because you were my best friend back then." She replied, thinking she might as well just say it. It was strange. She could remember those things better than she could the memories about him as a wraith. One step at a time, she guessed. The block on her older memories must have been weaker, which makes sense considering it had been so very long ago.

Ren let his head tilt to the other side as she revealed a little detail.

"Really? Friends?" He knew they were acquaintances five thousand years ago... But couldn't remember anything from his mortal days. Honestly, he didn't care either. It didn't bring him any forward or hinder him if he didn't know anything about it. He was fine without those memories and will be as well. Never needed them, doesn't need them now and never will need them in any way, shape, or form. If anything, they might do him more bad than good in the end.

Hyano nodded.

"Yes... You ordered a court wizard. I needed training and since everyone knew you had a short attention span they sent the only wizard who had one that matched. I got some training. You got your wizard. It just worked out well enough that we became friends in the end." She replied, smiling a bit as she recalled the good times they shared. Torturing his steward with pranks of all kinds, pranking each other. It was nothing short of fun. Some days were better than others. When running a kingdom, things are bound to go wrong, however they made it the best they could.

"You don't have a short attention span." While he knew it from the start that it was easy for him to lose interest in things rather easily, which didn't bother him in the slightest, he still considered Hyano as not such a person. He knew her well enough by now to know she was the opposite. "You are able to do anything for hours." It wasn't a true compliment, at least not intended as that. If anything, he was thinking it was more annoying than useful. He had to drag her away from whatever she was doing to switch her attention from one thing to the other. On other days he was glad she didn't bother him and was studying the book he gave her, learning dark magic.

"Back then... yes I did. Don't get me wrong, I studied but getting me to study for longer than a few minutes was a nightmare. I was also horrible at potions because I hated spending so much time on them. I would rather go out and play and this ended in more than a few of my potions exploding." the wizard replied with a giggle, remembering how she took out Radagast's house more than once because of this.

The Nazgul shook his head at this. Was she really like this?

"You were worse than me..." Well, only in the matter that if he knows he won't be able to carry out a task that requires just too much time, he doesn't even start it... Just so no accidents happen or he leaves something unfinished. He always did the quick works or important but interesting ones. Every one of his brothers knew how to handle him. But it is nice to see she ended up as patient. Otherwise, who would do all the boring work around him?

"Children tend to be. If I had the option I probably wouldn't have done half the stuff I did but my training required it. So again and again I was asked to do the task and more often than not something would go wrong because I got bored... It was only after what happened with you that I started getting better." Hyano admitted. She had never thought about it but maybe that was why she had calmed down so much. Even though she didn't start aging until after she met Ren the second time, she did mature greatly after their first meeting. She would do anything to prove she was grown up and could handle more responsibility, though, the results varied.

"I guess I was lucky nothing blew up then." The Nazgul was kind of glad she didn't make any mistakes while he was around. He wouldn't want to be woken up from meditation to be blown up or burned down or have pretty flowers growing from his cloak... He shook his head at these thoughts. He didn't remember if she made any such things happen while he was a mortal. Now those happenings would be amusing to remember. But it was good the way it was. No annoying memories to distract him from his tasks. "So, this means the training I put you through worked?" The things he made her do and strictly oversaw her learning actually seemed to have an effect on her then. He didn't notice the change though, seeing they happened slowly and he was right there to witness every tiny bit of it.

"No... To say we ever trained when you were human is a little exaggerating. We played a lot and I used a lot of spells for fun... No, I think I learned patience because even though they took my memory of you as a human away, my mind still felt like it needed to make up for what happened... for my foolishness." She said, gripping her fists lightly. "I remember the day you put on that ring... I was too foolish to realize what was happening. I should have known better and I didn't..." She sighed, feeling like a fool.

"I wasn't meaning when I was a mortal. I don't care about that time. I meant our time in Moria." He corrected her, averting his gaze for now to the show, even though his attention was on her of course, he just needed to occupy his mind with something else. He wasn't truly concentrating on what she said about when he was a human. He didn't care about it. He didn't need those memories. But he will talk about it if it meant something for her. For the sake of somehow gaining her trust again and 'play' the nice wraith once more. There is a good use in everything they did. "And I never regretted it. Now I have power, immortality and people fear me. They respect me or they die. No matter if I have to pledge my whole existence to our Dark Lord. His wish is what I wish." His mind has long ago melded with the wish of Sauron, corrupting him and simply 'deleting' every memory he deemed useless, leaving only those about his skills intact. However, how his more playful and immature behavior got through, he didn't know. Sometimes when he meditates he wonders why he was like this and why he cannot behave the same way as his brothers. He really tried but it was impossible...

"How do you know if you regretted it or not if you don't even remember it?" The orange wizard pointed out simply. "The only thing that ring gave you that you didn't already have was immortality. Besides that, you had everything else. You already had power and respect and you didn't have to pledge your life to anyone to get it. You were not convinced to take the ring for any of those things... You were tricked. It was given as a gift. The things you got with it... you had no idea were coming and by the time you realized what was happening… it was too late." She replied simply.

"I don't care." Ren said, keeping his gaze on the show he was watching, starting to get a little irritated by their current topic. "No matter. It was well worth it. I like my power, my immortality and the terrifying aura. I don't care if I was tricked or not. I am glad I chose the ring. No matter what I lost, as I gained so much more." The Nazgul didn't remember, neither did he want to be reminded how he was as a mortal. He was weak back then. He was pathetic. But now... everyone sees him as what he is, they fear him, he is superior, lives forever to be remembered and cannot be killed. This is all he needs.

Hyano shrugged. She wasn't showing much emotion as they talked about the topic. Half her mind was mulling through memories now, working to find other ones besides just the ones she had so far.

"You currently are feared by no one because no one knows you exist or even existed. We are nothing but folklore now at best. Stories parents tell their children. Half the things they tell them have been very much distorted over time. The things you gained... are currently becoming the things you're losing." She pointing out simply.

"I will never lose them." The Nazgul pressed on, crossing his arms firmly, watching her now with a stern gaze. "I still have my powers, my immortality and am still invincible. If I want the respect and fear back, then I get it back. Easy." He was sure if he ever decided to show himself for what he is to everyone, he could have the same superior status as back then. His name would be feared and he would be respected once more. All it takes is to get out there and claim lordship over this town. Let the people flee or use them as slaves to build himself a stronghold. But then again... "It might be useless in this world, though. If I have only a few years left. I couldn't take over this world on my own in so little time."

The wizard thought for a moment about his foolish determination, then smirked.

"Alright. If you are so confident... How about we make a bet?" She challenged, finally turning to him. "You go out as you are tonight and gain the fear and respect from the town. If you can do that, you win and I will do whatever you want for a day. You fail and you have to do whatever I want for a day. And of course the winner gets gloating rights." She explained the challenge with a grin.

With his terrifying aura and infamous screech? Ren can inspire fear and terror within anyone. However... even he knew that one night is too scarce for a whole town, especially if they truly don't know who he was. "Two or three nights. And make the win three days." He sounded rather confident, not turning down the challenge. He knew the odds are to his favor and he will get the fear and terror of the townsfolk, they will cover from him and go out of his way by this time. They stand no chance, neither does she.

Hyano giggled, then nodded.

"Alright. I'm game." She said and leaned back. She knew better. She knew Ren had no idea what he was actually getting into but he would find out one way or another and she would watch him from a distance to make sure things didn't get too out of hand. "Remember, you have to do whatever I say. No ego or pride allowed." She added, not about to let him say 'hell no' if he didn't like whatever she wanted him to do.

"Excluding changing my appearance. And if I win, which I will... I won't make you change yours." The Nazgul nodded, firmly stating his own demands concerning the 'price'. He was sure she would make him wear those pathetic clothes she bought. However if she doesn't agree and he wins, he will make her walk about... naked. While he had no interest in the female body, seeing he lacks lust and the desire to mate, however he knew how uncomfortable she is with nudity. So why not? He was of course ready to remove this from his list if she agrees with him. He was very much confident still, no worry or concern was crossing his mind.

While this did knock out one of the main things she wanted to make him do, Hyano would easily find some other way to drive the wraith crazy for three days. So she smiled and nodded.

"Fine. Fine. No changes in appearance. I will work on that one some other time." She said with a smirk, letting him know she was still stuck on the idea of getting him to change his clothes. Part of it was to make life easier and the other part was because he made it a rather fitting challenge.

Good. Very good. Not that he won't win. Ren just wanted to be sure about this not happening, no matter what surprising events would happen that would prevent his victory. He let his invisible gaze wander to the ground, still thinking of what he wanted changed or excluded, perhaps included into their little bet which he will surely win.

"I can kill." He added, shifting his invisible gaze to her again. This little bet also enabled him to satisfy his hunger for fear but he also wanted to use this time to hunt and cause death where he can. In addition, if he just tries to scare them but doesn't prove them that he is truly a threat, he will never gain the required respect and the fear he deserved.

Hyano put her hands up.

"I am not making rules on how you win the bet. You have seventy-two hours to win it or I automatically win. Period." Even if they made a rule that said he couldn't kill anyone he could probably break it anyway so that was a worthless rule in itself. She did not think he could get many kills and not be stopped anyway so she was not going to worry about it. If she was lucky, this would not last past twenty-four hours at best. Especially when he was hit by sun rise.

"Good. Then I will start tonight. I have enough energy to roam." The wraith of course didn't suspect that she would come along but was in the impression that she will stay away and sleep, while he can do what he wishes to ensure everyone knows he is around and can show his dominance to everyone. He also suspected that the first few hours will be more than likely the hardest, where the people won't know who he is and probably won't give as much attention to his presence. But the moment he sounds his terrifying screech, lets his dark aura flood the town and bathes his sword into the first prey... they will think otherwise.

"I hope it turns out better, then I'm sure it will." Hyano said with a shrug. Actually, she was sure this would all turn out a lot worse than what they both were ready for. However, when one sticks two immortals in a room and give them nothing to do they tend to think up some rather crazy things to do instead. She got up soon and stretched, arching her back. "I'm making food. So you want anything?" She asked, her mind not remembering that the Nazgul didn't eat, though, she had registered that he had yet to do so since he got there.

The wraith didn't say anything for a few seconds, debating in himself how he should answer this stupid question. They have lived together for so long back then... why can't she remember it? He thought he might just turn to her and tell her in an extremely annoying or even tone that he doesn't need to eat, then explain her in detail why. But decided to go about it in a different way.

"Do you have of those giant eagle brains? You know... those very large ones." He asked, turning his gaze towards her and tilting his head to the side, as if asking her truly with curiosity. If there is anything he learned from her, it was acting. To a certain point.

Hyano blinked. _Eagle brains?_ She turned and stared at him, wondering if he was serious but the wraith in general was rather hard to read.

"Uh... Actually those eagles either moved from Middle-Earth or died out a very long time ago so... I guess the answer is 'no'." She said, then shook her head, trying to shake off the absolute oddity of the question. Had he been serious? She knew some cultures did eat brains but that was not a requirement and she was sure it was not the first thing they would ask for. However, the wraith was an odd case so she assumed he deserved some credit for that.

The wraith kept watching her before suddenly turning away from her and focused on his show again.

"Good. Because I don't want it." He replied, shrugging, and hissed when one of the characters got their tongue severed... then it was made to bite metal which cut through its teeth. This was the best part so far. "And I don't need anything else. I am a wraith. I eat fear." He said like it was natural to know before ignoring her again. She can go ahead and... consume whatever she wanted. But he dearly hoped... that she won't cook that disgusting substance she did back then at the tree house. He would pull back to the basement... and bring the black box with him...

Hyano shook her head a little confused before shrugging it off. Alright, so he didn't eat. That really was all he had to say, though if she had been in his shoes she probably would have messed with his head too. She went to the kitchen and looked around for a moment before getting an idea. Soon, the sound of popping came from the kitchen. Anyone who didn't know better might mistake it for gun shots if only odd ones. However what the young-looking wizard was really doing was using a blow popper to make herself a bowl of popcorn.

Ren was very busy watching the show, having a good time as the creatures killed each other. He really liked that green something. Was it a bear? It turned evil sometimes and killed everyone around him rather creatively, using whatever he had at his disposal. However he fell silent and almost jumped in surprise when the first popping came. It was loud for his sensitive hearing and stayed silent as he listened on. Where did it come from? Because he was concentrating on the black box, he couldn't pinpoint the location. Soon after came a new one, accompanied by many. The wraith actually mistook them as that gun, seeing they are extremely loud for him. His hooded head moved and stared at the direction of the kitchen in a split second at the pops and finally stood, rushing towards it. Is someone in here? But he didn't smell anyone... No one could have come in... Or was it Hyano? Slowly, but surely, the Nazgul started peeking inside, instantly seeing his mate come into view... but...she was just standing... no gun. The popping came again and noticed that thing which made it. It was irritating. He made sure to hiss to give voice to this.

The orange wizard looked at him and blinked, not sure what his displeasure was about before looking to the object he was hissing at.

"It's called popcorn." She said, then got an un-popped piece and showed it to him. "You heat one of these for a while and it pops, making it something you can eat." She explained to him, then showed him a piece of the already popped popcorn before turning off the blow popper. She then put some margarine and salt on it before making her way back to the living room.

The wraith watched the little tiny thing, then tilted his head to the side as she showed him the popped -and no doubt- edible food.

"And you are eating that?" He asked her almost dumbfounded, pointing at the white thing before she walked away and came back with a bowl full of that thing. "Looks disgusting..." He hissed and simply moved back to the couch, sitting on it and crossed his arms. Just in time to see another character die. The scent of that 'food' however wasn't at least so bad. It was even somewhat pleasant. At the very least she didn't make that disgusting thing with the stench.

Hyano rolled her eyes. This coming from the man who just made a virtual hell in her bathroom out of a body... Yes, his opinion didn't count for much.

"It isn't for you anyway." She pointed out before dropping a piece in her mouth. "Why do you keep worrying about what I'll make by the way?" She asked him. She had noticed the way he would act, like he expected her to make something and was dreading it before it even happened. However she hadn't said anything until now because she honestly could care less but she did have to admit she was a little curious what was running through his head.

Ren sighed at the question but relaxed nonetheless, at least not disgusted and not bothered by the scent of the popcorn. That was actually rather pleasant. However it did look disgusting, so chose not to look at it and instead kept watching the show.

"You tend to make very disgusting food that has such an irritating stench. Like that... red thing. I would crawl back right to Mordor if you made that one. Or retreat to the basement for days for that smell to go and take the black box with me." He explained, thinking it should be enough, before shrugging. He would do that. He really would. Maybe at night he would even throw it out of the door so it won't bother him.

Hyano put a piece of popcorn in her mouth while thinking. _Red stuff... Red stuff_... She thought to herself, then blinked. "Wait you mean fairy jam? Oh wow, I haven't made that in a long time. I can't anymore because some of the things I used to make it went extinct a long time ago." She replied, a little surprised but then thought about it. Well, she had made it a lot when she was little. If the time frame was right, she was still making it back then when she probably met him and a little while after. She honestly didn't make the jam because she loved the stuff. While she did like it, she mostly made it because it lasted a long time and was very filling, so it meant less work for her.

Ren briefly glanced at her when he heard that crunching sound coming from her, no doubt chewing on that stuff but looked away soon after. He didn't even want to see it. The wraith nodded in return when she said the name of that disgusting substance with the stench. Yes, that was its name! He didn't hear its name for a long time so forgot about it as well. He relaxed slightly when she said she cannot make it anymore. Perfect. He doesn't need to tolerate or flee from that thing...

"Good. That thing smelled worse than anything... and you kept it in the tree house for days!" He complained, clearly displeased with this but was relieved that this won't be the case anymore. But what is stopping her from making something similar? Or something worse? He shuddered visibly at the thought.

Hyano thought for a moment about this. She debated on telling him that was what a fridge was used for but decided not to, afraid he might try to take the thing apart if he found out there was another thing in the house he had yet to learn about. However, she did get an idea on how to mess with him a little.

"I will be right back." She said, then got up, leaving the popcorn bowl behind, then went to her room retrieving her cell phone from her hoodie from the previous day. She flipped through a few numbers before smirking as she found one for a pizza joint. Oh this would be funny. She then dialed the number and proceeded to order a pizza.

While she was away, the wraith used this time to examine what she was eating more closely. He reached out slowly and took a piece of popcorn from the bowl with the help of his thumb and index finger, bringing it closer. He hissed at it first but eventually settled and turned it in his grip, watching the... disgusting look of it. Yet again the scent wasn't bad so he had no problem with that. He sniffed it audibly, then put it down onto the couch, noticing how it bounced on it lightly as if it had no weight. So, extending a hand he poked it a few times before losing interest and returning to the show.

He didn't even suspect what she was planning...

Hyano eventually came back and tilted her head, noticing the odd piece of popcorn now on the couch.

"Random." She said, then flicked it away, thinking she could clean up with the vacuum later, then sat down to wait. Every now and again her eyes would look at the grandfather clock, eager for the pizza boy to arrive. She didn't say or do anything, though, just let the wraith watch his show while putting a piece of popcorn into her mouth here and there.

Ren's gaze turned to her when she spoke up but soon lost interest in it, having not understood it, he resumed watching the cartoon. Even if this was interesting, he couldn't help but notice her odd gaze to the... weird device he didn't know what it was for but shrugged, thinking it was probably nothing. But then... why does he have that weird feeling... that... foreboding feeling that she is planning something he won't like? Once more shrugging it off, the wraith tilted his head to the side when snow was displayed in the show. It was odd… He had a long life but so far failed to see anything like this. What made him even more curious was the way the characters started hauling in a tree -which was cut with the loss of one creature already-... and started to... decorate it? What? For what? They kill it then put on some items?

"Strange..." He said, not understanding what is happening. "They are killing the tree... then hang items on it to celebrate its death...?" He tried guessing, having no idea about Christmas. Yes, killing is something entertaining to do when he didn't get to do so for a long time but…. decorating a tree for it was… Well…

Hyano wasn't really paying attention to the show by this time but blinked and looked once he made a comment about it.

"Oh, that? It is an odd tradition but it has some meaning to it. Way back when someone got the idea to bring the whole tree into their home instead of just pieces of it to help keep the fire going. As he needed pieces he would chop it off the tree. Just so happens that he was also a part of a religion that believes that their savior was born during the winter as well. So he allowed his kids to decorate the tree along with their home for the celebration. The tradition stuck even after the need for wood burning vanished." She explained.

"Savior?" Ren asked, not sure what to believe of this. "What savior? And still... why decorate a dead tree like that? How does that work as a celebration?" He was of course confused of this and didn't understand the meaning behind 'decorating a dead tree'. To him, it had definitely no use, so why waste energy on doing this? He was of course not against the idea of cutting trees but... why don't they use it instead? Why do they waste it by... putting things on it. Religions of mortals are so confusing, even frustrating. The Nazgul and dark creatures only had a single and most clear religion. Worship the Dark Lord and their god, Morgoth, do everything the way that pleases them. That's it. They don't decorate dead trees for that...

"How does anything really work as a celebration? Half the time anything you do to celebrate anything is kind of random." The wizard pointed out with a shrug, not overly surprised by his confusion. She smiled slightly when she heard a car pull up into her driveway and someone get out and start making their way to the house. Perfect timing. This conversation was getting harder and harder to explain by the second.

Useless things... Why do humans find such fun in finding things or inventing things that have no use? Ren was sure his Dark Lord wouldn't be pleased if -instead of carrying out his wishes and will- he would start decorating dead trees in his name... That won't make him pleased he was sure. The Nazgul shook his head and was about to comment on it, were it not for the strange sound coming from outside rather closely and stopping close by. He fell silent and motionless, his hood turned towards the sound and watched the door, almost like a guard dog does, as if preparing to pounce and attack the person who comes through that thing. He heard the steps and he instantly went alert, even going as far as standing up.

Hyano couldn't help but giggle lightly. He would make a great guard dog if he was ever shifted into one. She stood up as the doorbell rang and walked past him, not saying anything as she opened the door with a smile.

A boy with a box stood there.

"Hello ma'am. Here is the soy cheese pizza you ordered." He said, holding it out to her.

She smiled and nodded.

"Hold on, let me go get the money." She said, walking away from the door and going to get her money from her room.

While the wraith did not see who or what person is standing at the door, he knew one thing. He wasn't allowed to enter, let alone stand near his territory without his approval. He was an intruder clearly and had to be handled like one. Ren then hissed lightly before nearing the door from the side, intending to get there without being noticed, then lash out to grab him, haul him inside then just... be done with it. He never told this mortal he can come here. So he isn't welcome.

Now, Hyano wasn't about to have that.

She picked up a bouncy ball from a shelf on her way back and threw it, sending it right past his line of vision and watched as it took off bouncing around the house. When dealing with someone that has a short attention span, use a toy meant for a person with a short attention span.

The sudden flash of movement did its job, and did it well. The wraith's attention was instantly on the fast and rather 'agile' thing that kept bounding around, creating flashes of bright streaks from its bright color. He first followed it just with his gaze, creating a funny situation where he moved his head rather quickly, following it's every move before deciding that his curiosity reached its limit and now wanted to touch that thing. The wraith waited until it started slowing down before giving chase.

A rather short one.

He needed to only move in three times before succeeding, throwing himself at the still rolling and bouncing ball. He kept the little thing in his metallic grip as if it could come to life and start bouncing on its own. He never saw such a toy before and he most certainly didn't see Hyano throwing it.

The wizard in the mean time quickly walked up to the entrance, handing the man the money and slammed the door in his face. While she wanted to mess with Ren, the last thing she wanted was another dead body in her bathroom.

Hyano laughed as she watched him chase the ball and pounce on it like a cat. She wondered how long it would take him to figure out the object in his hand was just that. An object and not a bouncing creature. She put the pizza on the coffee table and sat to watch the fun. Messing with her friend's mind was all too much fun...

Friend.

Wow, she hadn't really thought of him as a friend in a very long time. She hardly remembered it but as she thought about it… they probably both liked to mess with each other. It fit their personalities rather well anyway.

Ren only let go of it just a little every second, making sure to still be able to close his grip around it if it decided to hop around again. The Nazgul finally let it go after a while, noticing it wasn't moving, aside from rolling a few inches to the side. Feeling like chasing, the wraith simply sat there, watching the ball as if waiting for it to bounce again on its own. Seeing it doesn't want to, he reached out and poked it with a metal-covered finger, causing it to roll again a few inches before stopping once more.

Now what?

The wraith poked it again and again, then a fourth time before grasping it and looking at it more closely, tilting his head to the side. It was brightly colored... round and... bright... and... Hard and... did I say already that it was bright?

Hyano was eating a piece of pizza as she watched him experiment and try to figure out the little toy. She giggled lightly, then held her hand out.

"Want me to show you how it works, Ren?" She asked him, assuming his curiosity would be more than enough to push him to give her the ball. That or he would continue trying to figure it out because of his naturally stubborn nature. Either one would be funny to watch.

Only when the wizard talked did the Nazgul avert his concentration from the ball to her and the stench in the room. This was worse than how disgusting that popcorn looked! He hissed at this new smell, inching away a little, then just ignored her as he tried to get the ball to bounce about.

So... poking won't make it move. He found out that one.

What if he pushed it?

With this, the wraith let the small toy roll a little. While it did distance itself from him, it didn't bounce. The wraith started to think that this ball isn't alive, seeing it didn't want to flee from him. Stretching out a little, he retrieved the toy and looked at it again before raising the hand that was holding it and letting it fall towards the ground. He watched as it -finally- started to bounce around, even if just a little. He grasped it again and did the same, this time from a greater height, watching as it bounced higher and more.

Hmm...

Hyano giggled. Well, he was learning, which was good. She ate another piece before deciding that was enough for now. Good thing she ordered a small one.

"So the man is gone now." She said, wanting to see what would happen when Ren realized what had really happened. That he had been about to kill before she successfully distracted him with nothing more than a little toy.

Ren's gaze turned to her sharply at the mention of the man and slowly turned it towards the door, which was closed by now.

His prey... is gone.

Shrugging, his mind being somewhere else and happily entertained, the Nazgul decided he didn't care enough at the moment to complain about it. Once he gets bored with this ball... then he will complain. For now he is content enough with it. He kept letting the ball bounce before realizing that the stronger he let the ball meet the floor, the more it will bounce and the more he could watch it zip past and chase it. So, with this thought, he proceeded slamming it down, watching as it bounced right up, meeting the ceiling, where it changed directions and jumped away, across the room, then right back to the other side of the room.

Time to chase...

Hyano raised a brow as he slammed the ball down and the thing took off. Her green eyes widened. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._ She thought before seeing the ball was coming right for her.

"Crud!" She yelled, then jumped out of the way, not wanting to either get hit by the ball or tackled because the wraith was chasing it.

She was right. The wraith was chasing it as best as he could, so lunged as it flew over the couch, landing halfway laying across it, before getting up and going right after it. It had such a bright color and bounced around, keeping his attention on itself, so he didn't care where he was chasing it or if he tripped over anything... or anyone. He was rather fast as well, sometimes skidding a little to try and change directions fast and catch the ball before it actually slowed down. Soon, he jumped up once more, actually managing to catch the ball within his grip mid-air before falling down and meeting the floor on his stomach, holding the item in his grip firmly. He didn't seem to be bothered by all this, seeing he didn't register or feel pain from all this. A normal person would by now cry of the pain in their chest and stomach or wouldn't be as daring to do this at all. Ren sat up and inspected the ball again, interested in the bright green-red markings. He seemed to like this thing.

Hyano watched him play, then blinked as he went in the air and caught the item before hitting the ground and mentally cringed. She knew it didn't hurt the wraith but thinking of how much that would hurt if she did it made her cringe a little. However, the whole event was just too funny. Before the wizard knew what happened, she was on the floor laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.

Ren's gaze turned from the ball he was holding to the wizard and watched her as she laughed. He tilted his head to the side, not understanding why she would laugh. Is there something funny? This moment was when he realized that she found entertainment within the way he was hunting this thing, finding great joy in his effort. But getting a sudden idea, the wraith looked at the ball before grasping it in a hand and stalked over to her quietly. Well, she was distracted, wasn't she? Then, when the right moment came and her back was facing him, he lashed out and held onto her clothes before slipping the small ball right beneath them, letting her feel his wrath when she struggles to get it out. It didn't have a smooth surface after all and wasn't made of slippery plastic. But from the rather sticky kind which enabled it to be elastic yet hard. He was confident to prevent her from getting it out of there.

The orange wizard yelped in surprise as he grabbed her shirt, for a second believing he might try to pull it off of her but instead he shoved the ball in. She arched her back in surprise and blinked as it stuck to her and her shirt.

_Note to self... Don't forget that Ren loves to take revenge. _

She thought to herself before bending her arm back. The easy part was getting a hold of it, hard part was getting the stupid thing to let go and drop out of her shirt. When she would get it to let go of her back it would get stuck to her shirt, when it let go of her shirt another part of her shirt or her back would grab on.

So annoying.

But this wasn't the only thing making it hard for her to succeed. Ren was also preventing her from getting a good grip on it, making sure to push her hands away whenever he could, while repeatedly poking her side at times to make her squirm. He knew she was ticklish.

"Bad Hyano. Don't laugh." He scolded her, then to make sure he had better control over her movements, he straddled her waist preventing her from rolling around too much, while he had both of his arms free to poke her side with and push her hands away from the ball. These were the situations when the Nazgul was reminded how week and pathetic living beings are and how easy it was to affect them… To control them… And Ren liked the control he had over her right now.

"H-how can I... can I not... haha laugh if you are... if you are being so bloody hilarious and tickling me!" The istar laughed out as he tickled her, then yelped as he straddled her and squealed as he continued to tickle her sides and prevent her from getting that damn ball. "Gah! Hahaha Ren st-stop haha!" She cried out between gasps for air and giggled. She was glad those claws of his weren't cutting into her sides. He was very good at controlling those things, thank Valar, because she was sure if he wanted to he could slice her up right now.

Ren made sure she squirmed for a good ten minutes before finally letting her go and sat beside her, letting her calm down and get up. She was just too amusing when she is squirming like that and screaming, shouting, her breathing would be erratic. Laughing is one thing he couldn't do and it was rather entertaining to see others do it. But the ball was still stuck to her and her clothes, so the entertainment didn't end yet. However, this time the wraith was content to just watch her and get his ball back so he can continue with his own little game.

Hyano finally was able to relax, forgetting about the ball for a second in favor of catching her breath.

"Jerk." She said with a light laugh before reaching back under her shirt and grasping the ball. She quickly gave it a tug then tossed the thing, wanting it to be as far from her as she could get it which ended up being the kitchen.

Not knowing what the word meant, he didn't find it offending at all and instead watched as the ball rolled away and bounced into the kitchen. He bolted right after it, where he caught it and leaned against the fridge, holding the ball in his hands.

At this point Ren decided he had enough.

He will not chase the ball anymore for the next few days and he was already wasting energy. Only now did his mind register that he is supposed to go out hunting tonight and work on getting the fear and respect he truly deserved. Or else he will have to do what Hyano says for three days. He wasn't too keen to do that... So, getting himself comfortable in there, the Nazgul sat there leaned against the fridge, resting and messing with the ball.

Hyano waited for a moment expecting the ball to come bouncing out with the black clad man not far behind. However, he never came. She eventually stood up, her back feeling sticky now and walked into the kitchen just to be greeted by the Nazgul napping against the fridge. She thought for a moment, then went and grabbed the pizza. "Hey do you mind moving a bit. I need to put this in there." She said, pointing at the fridge he was leaning against.

The wraith looked up at the sound of steps but eventually resumed his resting, not minding her presence. But did stare at her again when she gestured for him to move. He tilted his head to the side. Put something in there? His gaze soon turned to the thing he was leaning against and looked it up and down, as if judging if anything can be put inside and how it worked. Wanting to know, he simply let her show and slid to the other side of the kitchen, watching the white thing.

The orange wizard walked up to it and opened the fridge, putting the pizza box in. S cold gust came out, making her shiver slightly before shutting the door, then looked down at him.

Ren watched curiously how she opened the fridge and saw her shiver but failed to see why. He couldn't feel temperatures of course, so had trouble finding out the reason for her actions. One is for sure. He will... explore that thing at a later time...

"You might get more energy back if you rest in the basement." The young-looking woman pointed out with her hands going to her pockets.

"No." His reply was short and to the point. Just what one would expect from a wraith. The Nazgul however didn't disclose why he thought the way he did. He wanted to find out if his discovery last night was true. If her presence while he rested truly boosted his energy better than sitting alone in the darkness, so he decided to meditate where she settles down after this. Sit down somewhere there and rest fully before his mind forces him to wake up.

Hyano tilted her head, being a little curious why he would want to stay in the kitchen of all places. She shrugged it off, though, figuring he was just being strange again, then got an idea. She stepped up to him, then without warning she sat into his lap bridal style and rested her head on his shoulder. Well his nonexistent shoulder. Part of her expected to go right through him. He did lack any real body.

Ren was rather surprised at her sudden action which she did not do since Moria and just stared at her as she settled in his lap and stayed like this for a little while, expecting her to stand but seeing she is there for good, he just shrugged and adjusted his sitting position so her elbow doesn't press on his leg. While he felt no pain from it, he did want to get rid of any annoying factors that could disturb his meditation.

"I have a question. You lack a body right? Can you touch things without your clothes on, then?" She asked him curiously, not commenting on her random act.

The wraith tilted his head to the side at her question, once more watching her in silence. Doesn't she know wraiths? Didn't he already tell her this? Guess he didn't... he can not exactly remember that one...

"Yes... and no." He said simply letting his gaze wander to the fridge again and stared at its smooth surface. "I don't lack a body. I lack a visible body. I live in the world of the Unseen, where you living are nothing more but walking auras. In return we cannot be seen in your world." He tried explaining. He actually does have a body, just spectral. "I can touch things without my gear. Only I lose form if I take the cloak off together with the gauntlets and boots. They keep me in form." His body is actually forced to keep the form he has now by possessing his attire, otherwise he wouldn't be more than a floating ghost. But that ghost isn't as... terrifying. So they choose this form.

"So the way I see you is the way you see us... Makes sense, I guess. It's like there is a fog between us." Hyano said as she thought it over for a moment, then sat up a little. "So that means you do have a face in there, huh..." She asked, then reached up to touch inside his hood. Her curious nature as both an istar and his friend pushed her to want to know. Did his spectral body look anything like the one she remembered? Or had even that changed to the point where you couldn't recognize it anymore?

The Nazgul watched as her hand neared his hood, almost in a slow motion and leaned back a little, away from it, his gauntleted hand shot up and grasped hers to stop what she was trying to do. He stared at her from his empty hood for a little while, not saying a word, making sure she got the message that this place was off-limits for her.

"I don't like it when people do that." He also voiced it with an even tone, still holding onto her arm. Mostly he was protective of his face because of what happened to the Witch-king. While it wasn't his weakness, it was still unpleasant to see, he also never was touched there by anyone, so simply was used to being left alone. A wraith's face is also a mystery. If there is one or not... no one shall know.

Hyano blinked in surprise. She debated on asking why but considering everything, it wasn't that hard to find out.

"... Fine..." She said, then pulled her hand from his grip. She was a little disappointed but she would figure out another way. They did still have their bet of course. If she won then maybe... she shook her head then relaxed and looked up at him. "Has anyone touched you since you changed?" She asked him curiously.

Ren was pleased that she decided not to press it further. Normally she would be wrestling him by now and halfway expected it but was pleasantly surprised that she didn't become difficult and he could rest a little more. If he could, the wraith would have frowned at her next question. Touch? Does she mean gripping? He was slightly confused at her question but shrugged and decided to answer it, despite wanting to stay silent and meditate. Seems like he won't get any of that. Sitting is much help though. He won't lose any more energy.

"Many fought me and tried to kill me in futile attempts over the many thousand years. So yes, they did grip or touch me." He said matter of factly, keeping his invisible gaze on her sitting form.

Hyano rested her head against his shoulder again and giggled lightly.

"I meant without the cloak. Like your face or hands. However I'm pretty sure that is a no." She replied, correcting his thinking. Fighting did not really count, especially since it sounded like all the touching he was talking about was through his cloak. She doubted even other wraiths had ever touched him.

Without his cloak? What? Why would he let anyone touch him like that?

"What is the difference?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, not understanding why she handles being touched through the cloak or without it differently? Not like this dark -not exactly black anymore because of age- cloak protected him more or acted like some kind of armor. Well, his gauntlets and boots were armors, his cloak however wasn't. It just made sure he kept his form.

"You might not notice it but at least for those with a body like my own there is a difference..." She said, then thought a moment before tugging on her sleeve. "Clothes restrict the amount of contact you can actually feel. If you touch me directly I can feel it more." she explained to him.

"I don't think it is different or even important." The relaxing Ringwraith told her, shaking his head slightly, adjusting a little his position. "It isn't more different to be slashed with a sword which cuts through the cloak or a punch that doesn't. It feels the same, just the force is different. But the enemy dies either way." He shrugged, still not seeing the difference.

"I'm glad no one ever killed you, though... Despite you being a big mouthed prick." She told him, shaking her head at his stubbornness. Seems like she will need to explain this to him more clearly, which she will probably regret later. But she was glad to see that even though her friend was not really her friend anymore, he had survived in a way.

Ren just stared at her and didn't understand the last word but if one has a brain -even if spectral- it is rather easy to put it together with the one she used before it to see that it wasn't anything nice. He hissed lightly, sounding scolding before poking her side once as punishment.

"Do not call me names. I don't call you either. Show some respect. Besides... How do you kill something that isn't exactly alive?" One can say he was undead... or a dead person stuck in the world of the living... Or a living being stuck between the two realms halfway. But one thing is for sure. He wasn't fully alive anymore.

Hyano gasped and giggled lightly as he poked her side.

"You are what I called you so it's not like I'm lying." The wizard pointed out simply, then thought a moment. How did you kill something that wasn't exactly alive? "I don't know... Has a wraith ever died?"

Her words earned her another poke, this time from the other side to not seem predictable.

"A wraith has died already once when becoming what he is... The dark magic created, altered and killed us; it keeps us walking the realm of the living. If this magic stops, I am no more in this world. My soul will be released to the Abyss, to the nothingness. I didn't die the way the mortals do. I died to be reborn as something different." This is one thing he remembered as clear as day even at this time, causing a slight shiver. The unbearable pain... the curse searing through his veins... Changing... Taking, then replacing... But it was worth it. Worth for the power... the respect and the immortality.

Hyano laughed a little, then thought for a moment about what to say.

"So... if you were to die... there is very little chance of you going to the other side..." She said, then shook her head. "Never mind." She added quickly, not wanting to think of that at the moment. She then lifted her shirt. "Try tickling me again." she said simply, going back to their previous topic about touches. She wanted him to see the difference.

Seeing she seemed to drop the subject about death and insults, Ren simply relaxed a little more, however watched her curiously as she pulled up her shirt, not sure what she does it for, before asking him to tickle her again. Shrugging once, the wraith extended a hand and poked her side again the way he used to. Well, if she thinks he will understand this more if she uses this method, then why not...

There was usually a delay in her reaction but the moment he touched her Hyano twitched and laughed in his grip, trying to get away out of reflex. There was no cloth in the way to delay the reaction, however now her nerves were instantly being hit by his hand poking her. She covered her sides quickly with her own hands to keep him from continuing.

The Nazgul stopped what he was doing the moment he got a rather intensive reaction from her for the same touch he makes usually. This time she squirmed more and her reaction was more amusing than usual. Not stopping there, he raised his other hand and poked her other side, then prepared the other hand to do the same to the side he poked before, which hopefully will be unprotected by then. He decided he liked this version better. His mind at this point completely dismissed what they were just talking about or why she let him do this in the first place. He was focusing too much on her reactions and the entertaining movements she made.

Hyano squealed and laughed as she squirmed in his grip.

"Gahaha! S-stop! Haha!" She laughed out before finally grabbing his hands with her own. She panted, being out of breath from laughing so hard. "Th-that is... that is the difference." She finally got out as she got her breath back. Again, she knew that had been something of a mistake because she knew he would use this against her but she just assumed it was the easiest way to explain it to him.

The wraith will have to remember this. The next time she goes against his will, all he needed to do was push her shirt up and tickle her to submission. Seems easier this way and faster. He would save energy. Much of them at that.

"Livings are so strange. For me there is no difference." He finally said, going back to their earlier topic, then his tone changed to a more mysterious one. "But thank you for the tip." It was almost a promise of what is going to happen to her once she goes out of line... or once he gets just bored and wants some entertainment.

Hyano relaxed, rolling her eyes at his unsaid threat before letting go of his hand and relaxing again.

"How would you know? You won't even let me touch your face." She pointed out to him with a shrug. "I'm pretty sure you would feel some kind of difference. Even if it isn't like the kind I feel." She added and closed her eyes. Laughing had a knack of tiring her after a little while but she wasn't tired enough to fall asleep. He was just... comfortable.

"I just know. Punch or sword cut... feels the same. The sword does make direct contact with my body. But your reaction was entertaining. It did teach me something." He hissed, having had to say this at her clear sign of annoyance. He knew as much about her from the past that rolling her eyes means this and annoying her is one of his favorite pastimes. He started accepting the fact that their conversations are over for a while as she kept silent, getting comfortable in his lap, even he prepared for meditation.

She stayed like this for a few minutes as she let her lazy stare meet the wall opposite of her, her mind thinking about their conversation, processing what was said, and blinked when she realized something.

"... You aren't like most wraiths... are you?"

The Nazgul knew meditation just will not happen when it was interrupted as she surprised him with yet another question which confused him.

"What?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, staring at her. "I am a type of wraith. I am everything what they are." He informed her, clearly not understanding the reason for her question. There are indeed a few kinds of lesser wraiths. Those who are made through curses from weapons, others from mages, and another were made from dark magic itself…. then there was his kind. Ringwraiths, or Nazgul in the Black Speech. He and his brethren are a higher ranked kind, stronger and more durable than any other. They were made through the combination of all the lesser ones. Through dark magic, a weapon -which was their Ring of Power- and a curse.

"I wouldn't know. Didn't get to meet any other wraiths... but I doubt they are exactly like you... You still feel like you did back then. When we met the first time I used to do this all the time. I would fall asleep on your lap while you would work on paperwork or some other task I couldn't help you with... You had a comfortable aura..." Hyano explained to him, thinking back many thousand years, way before the era of the Rings.

Ren watched her as she spoke, mentioning him as an extremely tolerant person who let her sleep in his lap. He wondered if he by that time simply tolerated her because she was useful to him. Because this was the reason for letting her do this now. He wouldn't let anyone else do this, would even kill them for trying. Toleration was a key word and action among his brothers if it came to someone who could be of great use. However even that had its limits. Respect still must be received. With her it was difficult to achieve, as she saw him as an equal than her master. Which he of course didn't like and will have to work on. At the mention of comfortable aura, the wraith leaned back slightly.

"I better don't have a comfortable aura now. I have a dark, terrifying aura, not supposed to be comfortable." He took great care to look as terrifying as possible, this is also why he refused to put on the simple and all too neutral looking clothes. The dark cloak made him look scary, making his very form appear as a ghost of dark magic.

Hyano giggled lightly.

"Might just be me, then." She replied, thinking he would never believe her anyway. It was there. She knew it was there. There was no way this was just in her head, right? Maybe... her mind started thinking logically, pointing out that it might just remember the feeling from way back then. That she was probably just holding onto it and projecting it on the wraith even though it wasn't there... but... she swore she could still feel it. Maybe that is what made him so easy to trust when she met him as a wraith the first time. A part of her mind remembered and trusted the Ren she knew before.

Ren just nodded and hummed, positive she was just imagining things, no way would his aura be called comfortable or pleasant. He also wasn't just any wraith. He was a Nazgul, the most terrifying among his kind, an advanced creature of his kin. If their aura is feared, then people flee from his. At least they are supposed to be. He sighed and let his gaze lower to Hyano who was still sitting in his lap comfortably. Seeing she went silent, the wraith proceeded to meditate, not minding but tolerating her presence.

For now, he was content.

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**We hope you enjoyed the chapter! We shall see what the night holds for them in two weeks!**

_CA Productions_


	6. New Predator in Town

**Avp: New chapter right here! You will read some violence here. Just a warning for those who are sensitive to it. **

**Cubby: You means besides reading about Ren running out and trying to kill a turkey with his bare hands?**

**Ren: Screeeaaach! *Running after turkey gauntlets out.***

**Hyano: Leave the poor turkey alone! *Running after Ren with staff at the ready.***

**Cubby: This is what I get for telling him about American Thanksgiving.**

**Avp: … Why did you tell him about the turkey? You are a vegan?**

**Cubby: I didn't. He went and watched the Happy Tree Friends Thanksgiving special. Now he thinks that the turkey is the key to killing everyone within a 10 mile radius.**

**Avp: … Note to self… Stop letting Ren watch cartoons. Enjoy the show, everyone!**

_CA Productions_

* * *

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Chapter 6 - New Predator in Town

Yet again, his mind awakened Ren from his meditation.

Three hours.

He counted. Not five.

Which means his speculation might be correct. But still he wasn't sure. He would need to meditate next time away from her to see if he still needed that much time without her presence. His mind also alerted him to something else.

The hunt.

He could remember today he needed to start and the next few nights will follow. He needed to teach the mortals that they do not ignore him and that they are from now on supervised by him. He will simply use the same tactic he always did. His mind reeled while he moved slightly, feeling the weight in his lap so looked down to notice Hyano there and stopped moving for now.

He will need to first make stealth kills... so people know something is walking about. The next night? Kill in the open. Make them see and notice. Make them fear and associate terror with his person. Third night? They surely all will hide. Don't leave them any safe places. Attack in homes... kill and spread fear. They should recognize him as the terrifying creature he is. Winning the bet will be all too easy. They did this many times with his brothers but this all played for only a day since he wasn't alone.

Sighing and looking up, he could feel his strength return and his desire to hunt awaken. Night has fallen. Darkness rules... It is time to move. The wraith looked down once and contemplated shortly what to do with her. Wake her up to tell her? No. He will come back by the time she awakens, his mind still acknowledging the same fact from the past, that she sleeps at night without waking. Looking around, the wraith then adjusted his position and put a hand behind her knees and one at her shoulders, then lifted her slightly, lowering her to the floor before standing. Walking out of the kitchen, he moved his arms a little to get a feel of movement, sensing his sword and preparing for the hunt. While he did so, he felt something at his cloak so reached inside and pulled out whatever was bothering him. The little ball he was chasing. He must have put it away when he decided to rest. Shrugging and knowing he won't need it, he put it on the desk in the living room. He will come back and chase it again.

Once done, he turned towards the door and walked up to it. The time has come.

* * *

Hyano had gotten so relaxed that she didn't even realize herself falling asleep until she was dreaming. She opened her eyes to total darkness and looked around confused.

"Hello?" She called out into the darkness.

Not even an echo greeted her back at first.

She gripped her fists, then started to walk not sure where she was going but hopefully it was the way out.

_'You can't save him. There is no saving what doesn't want to be saved.'_ Came a voice that seemed to come from everywhere.

She spun around, looking into the darkness for a source and finding none. She gritted her teeth. Her logical mind told her it was a dream... but that didn't stop her mind from being on edge... scared even. The orange wizard also knew exactly what the voice was talking about.

"Maybe... but if I were to give up then who else would he have?" She called back and waited for a reply, not moving and for a moment she thought none would come until again the voice shocked her.

'_Does a Nazgul need anyone? He has already proven time and again he doesn't care about your life. You are as good as another toy to him.'_ The voice called back. Then the sound of something hitting a floor caught her ear. It took her a moment to figure out just what that 'something' was.

The bouncy ball.

A simple toy he had played with until he lost interest... Her mind was teasing her. She gripped her fists. She was about to call back when the floor she couldn't even see seemed to come out from under her and before she knew what was happening she was falling.

Hyano woke with a start not long after being put down. She blinked and looked up at the ceiling. Her mind registered that she was no longer on the wraith's lap, however her magic told her that he had not left just yet. She waited until she heard the click of the door shutting before sitting up finally. The dream had her on edge but she refused to think about it. Not today anyway. If things went the way she thought they would, she had other things to worry about. She stood up and dusted herself off before noticing the ball...

_A toy to be discarded when not needed... _

The istar shook her head, then picked it up and pocketed the object, not sure why she wanted but she knew she did. She quickly went out the backdoor and started her own little event for the night.

It is time to see how the wraith handles the changes that time itself has brought to the night.

* * *

The first thing the wraith noticed was that... it wasn't exactly dark.

Yes, it was night alright, he felt his powers at their full strength, the sun is gone and the moon rose, darkness indeed rules... were it not for the unnatural light he was slapped in the face with. It didn't even look like night to him at first, so he had to hide behind the building for a little while to collect his thoughts. Well, he should have expected something like that. The Nazgul hissed at his misfortune, but it didn't end his hunt just yet. Yes, there might be some light here... but it didn't mean it was everywhere. There surely are some places where the light was scarce. In addition, if he thought about it, humans must be used to light more, which means they could be now completely blind in darkness and see as good with scarce light now like their ancestors saw in the darkness back then. He wasn't yet done.

The first thing Ren did was patrol the area around the 'tower', trying to find a path that wasn't lit harshly. Locating one, he resumed stalking forward and towards it, vanishing in the smaller street. He wasn't of course stupid to keep on the road but simply didn't respect property and hid within the plot of other people. Strangely enough he didn't receive any barks from the dogs. They were more sensitive to auras and surely didn't dare giving themselves away. He kept going forward and started his hunt after a while, extending his senses to see and hear better, sniffing the air for someone around. But so far, no luck.

Where are the people?

Hyano kept a distance, staying to rooftops so as not to throw Ren off of his hunt. The darkness made him hard to see but did not hide his aura from her, so keeping track of him was not hard. She knew it wouldn't take long for him to get annoyed. The majority of people were either asleep at this hour or were in the inner city partying. Very few would dare be out at this hour otherwise. It had nothing to do with the wraith. It was other humans that scared them, those that would want to hurt, kill and steal from them at these hours. Small town or not, all townspeople knew better than that.

The wraith, as she expected, started to grow restless as every time he stopped to locate a prey he just couldn't find anyone. He took a deep breath as he jumped up a stone fence, his hooded head moving around to see better and thoroughly. Are these humans now so lazy that they are just sleeping the whole night? Seriously... When he was about five thousand years ago he had plenty prey in a village.

A village... This is a town! Bigger! Yet no mortals are walking about?

He didn't want to lose the bet. No way would he ever do what Hyano said. Not for a day or three days. He was her master, her Lord, while she is his servant and should know her place.

The Nazgul, getting a surge of confidence and determination, decided to stalk forward. He jumped down the stone fence and moved forward, across the lit street to the next building, not caring if people spot him. Well... there is no one to spot him anyway... He then started hiding at houses again, sneaking about, still finding no one. The more he neared the town center, so did the light become more intense, hiding him less but he didn't seem to care about it anymore. He also started hearing...

Chatter? Was it? Yes!

Ren heard the faint footsteps of two people as they neared where he was. Quickly, the wraith bolted for a stone fence which he hid behind. Motionlessly, he waited behind it, hearing them pass his location. Two females as their voices tell him. He started following them along the stone fence, stepping carefully.

The women were on their way towards downtown, walking and talking casually.

Hyano stood on a rooftop to watch and see what her friend would try to do. He was hardly a friend really but she still thought of him as one. She looked at the women. One was obviously the kind of girl who likely had a new man every night with hooker shoes, a tang top that made no attempt to hide anything and a very short skirt. Her friend on the other hand who was being dragged along was more conservative, wearing pants and a simple tang top. Hyano raised a brow.

"Kids." She mumbled to herself.

The wraith sniffed the air constantly, this time keeping it silent. Sensing them made it clear he cannot make it a... 'stealth' kill in itself as the other might run off. But he can keep his person a mystery if his tactic worked. He kept following them for a little while, guessing and calculating their position, listening to their chatting and sound of footsteps to make his guesses accurate.

Thinking it was time to make the kill, the wraith stepped a few paces forward behind the stone fence, passing their location, then faced it. His hands turned to fists first, then relaxed them, preparing for the catch and crouched low. Once he heard their chatting come right in front of his position, he jumped up with a sharp and menacing hiss, leaning over the stone fence halfway and grasped his prey by the neck and shoulder with a short shriek, sinking the claws of his gauntlet into her skin, making sure to keep a good grip on her muscles and bones. He heard her scream suddenly, just like her partner but before she could see him, he started adjusting his weight and pulled the still screaming woman over the stone fence, making her land on the floor with a heavy thud. He let her scream a little more before his grip on her neck tightened, letting her give out a few more struggling breaths before ending her quickly by ripping out the flesh at her neck. Ren stopped here, stunned by the sweet yet disgusting scent of blood, and by the time he got his senses back he heard the scream of the other female sound faintly now a distance away, fleeing no doubt.

Now came the decision if he should stalk her, follow her or not.

Everything in Hyano wanted to stop Ren. Stop his kill, however she knew it was needed. In a way she felt a slight shift in the air and it wasn't from the smell of blood added to it. Despite what Ren was doing being wrong, she felt as if something had changed slightly. Not enough to make a huge difference but it was there. She watched the girl run and smirked when she heard the girl scream. Not because she was screaming, mind you but because of what she was screaming about.

Oh when Ren found out about this. She would wait until tomorrow to tell him, though.

Deciding against chasing and wishing to preserve energy, the wraith simply left the body behind and moved on again, jumping over a fence and landing on another property. Here he was once more stunned when a sudden light hit him out of nowhere, making him think they found him, blinding him slightly, causing him to step backwards with a hiss and fell against some bushes, and landing within the foliage.

Mysteriously the light shut off. What was this?

Unknown to him, the light was simply motion sensitive.

Hyano looked down and suppressed a giggle. The humans inside were either gone or dead asleep. He was lucky he had not set off a yard alarm yet, though, he did have yet to go into any of the richer backyards so maybe it was just because these yards didn't have one. Hyano let her eyes move in the direction she believed he was heading. A few more blocks and he would be in the inner city, then the amount of darkness he would have to hide in would be slim to none and backyards would be few considering most of them were apartments and businesses.

She was curious how he would handle that.

Eventually, the wraith collected himself and stood, curiously peering over at the yard, expecting to see someone. Perhaps another prey. But to his disappointment no one was there. Sighing, he took a few steps forward once more which caused the lights to return, sending the Nazgul right back towards the bushes. The lights didn't hurt him of course, seeing it wasn't the sun but it came rather suddenly, unexpected and blinded him without a warning. Ren hissed furiously at this and again when the lights went out. This time, expecting it he moved forward again, only to be flashed by it but now he just hissed in annoyance and simply moved on, arriving at the other side of the garden, noticing how it went out again. The wraith tilted his head to the side and stopped, watching the house before stepping forward once, the light came on, then stepped back and light vanished once more.

Such control! What is this?

He suddenly forgot his goal for tonight and played with the light, making it basically flicker on and off almost every five seconds. It was amusing to say the least. However his fun had to end... or just started... when some noises came from the house, which made the Nazgul dash for cover.

A man suddenly came outside in his sleepwear looking around his yard with an angry look, putting his hands on his hips.

"Okay kids, stop playing with the freaking lights! Kids nowadays..." With this, he went right in, locking the door.

There was complete silence for a good ten seconds after this, one could almost hear the gears in the brains of the creature turn and having an idea, the Ringwraith slightly stalked forward, going closer to the house itself, before he let the lights flicker once more.

The man yet again came outside, more angry, daring to leave the house more...

Bad move.

The Nazgul was on him the moment he was far enough and ended him quickly with a slash of his sword. Not wanting to linger around for now he dashed for the next house for cover, then continued on his way deeper into the town. The noticeable decrease of hiding places started to affect Ren as his -so far- linear route started to be disrupted by more turns and stops.

Hyano cringed as she watched, though, it wasn't the worst thing she had ever seen. She had seen much worse in her time even without the wraith's help. The wizard jumped after him, finding it much easier to hide on the roofs than it was for him to hide down there. It did take a bit of magic to do it but it was doable. When she landed on a roof where some children were partying they all looked at her. She cringed and blushed before thinking quickly.

"Uh... Parkour." She said quickly, then took off running and jumped onto the next roof. This earned some hoots and hollers from the half drunk students who couldn't tell the difference from someone extreme running or someone using magic. _Thank Valar for beer and whisky._ She thought with a mental laugh before looking down. While everywhere else was fairly empty, downtown had more people who were spending the weekend out with their friends. Most were on their way to a club of one kind or another. Many were already half drunk, even though the night was still young.

Not unusual for high school or college students, though.

The sudden noise and shouting caught the attention of the hiding wraith, which caused him to stop in a shadowy corner and look back towards the sound. There were just too many people around him now and the stone walls didn't make it easy for him to pinpoint the location. Dismissing it as not important, he simply pressed on, then was forced to stop as he ran out of hiding places now. The corner he stood at was the last unlit place around... Well... he can always go back from where he came from... But the... prey was so tempting. There was a huge choice around here... many walked about, mostly in groups but there were the few who were alone. Seems like he either will have to use more of his smarts to get around, or ditch his plans for today and kill in public...?

Nah.

Ren backed up against the corner and looked around before deciding to try and switch routs, jumping up and vanishing behind a stone wall, stalking forward in a narrow alley. The more he closed in on the end of it, the more he could see the people passing by. Nice place for a good hunting spot. However he was met with a new problem... How will he grab anyone from here if he didn't want to be seen? The opening is rather lit. Hissing, he let his hooded head look around, his gaze focusing on the top of the wall. Not thinking much about it, he jumped up on top and moved to the flat roof of the building next to it, then dropped down behind yet another stone wall on the other side, coming into position with groups of people like with the two women. He was behind the stone wall, while the people on the other side. With a well-timed and loud kill he can scatter the prey, who will run off. He can give chase then...

The humans were having a good time. One group ended up stopping by the wall. It was a couple. The man pushed his girlfriend up against the wall and she giggled as they kissed.

"Come on, baby. Let's have a little fun." The boy said, eager to get a lot closer to the girl in his arms.

She giggled shyly and looked away.

"B-but I've never... you know..." She replied and the boy just rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry about it. I will show you all you need to know." He assured her, however the girl wasn't so sure.

"Jimmy no. I don't want to..." She protested but the boy wasn't having it as he continued to try to get closer to her, trying to move her to a dark alley. She started shouting and pushing him. However, no matter the commotion no one around them seemed to pay attention to them.

Well no one… except for one…

The wraith heard the struggling, shouting and the scratches told him where exactly they are and they are going closer to the wall of the building where he would be cut off once more from him. He couldn't let them reach that part... he needed to make a loud kill... halfway visible... Why didn't he just stay in the alley...? Seemingly they are going that way. His thoughts cost him as he was actually too late, with a surge of energy the man seemed to have gotten the upper hand and they made it past the wall of the house, separating Ren from them. Hissing in annoyance, the wraith backed up a little and jumped back up to the flat roof of the building, going right back towards the alley, only to stop on top and watched silently as the pair moved into the alley. They seemed to be fighting, which only aided the Nazgul in the half-darkness to remain unnoticed. He waited for them to move more inside but as he was waiting... something caught his attention.

It was... as if something flashed from a roof. His invisible gaze turned towards the source but couldn't see anything. He stared towards it for a little while but dismissed it as another light somewhere.

Hyano breathed out a sigh once she was sure he hadn't seen her. That was too close. Far too close. She thought to herself, mentally scolding herself for being careless.

Now, returning to the pair which now managed to get deeper into the alley, the wraith decided to move. He silently dropped down onto the stone ground in a crouch, watching them a little to see if they noticed. They didn't. Slowly but surely, he stood up and started stalking forward, making sure to stand behind the back of the man and positioned himself to not be seen by the female either. He wanted a close kill this time... Not with his sword. He wanted him to be loud, scaring the prey in the open with his screams of terror. With this thought, the Nazgul hissed sharply, now giving away his position and not a second after he lashed out with both hands, one of his sharp gauntlets latching onto the man's neck, cutting into it but still enough for him to shout a little while, then his other hand went to his chest, burying his claws under the skin, digging them into his flesh, getting a hold of his ribs.

Hyano heard yelling from Ren's next victim and a loud scream from the girl.

The girl was too scared to think of how she had just been saved. She stepped back, then screamed again before taking off running, the boy easily forgotten considering what he had just tried to do.

"Help!" She screamed all the louder.

Ren let his prey shout loudly as long as he thought it was right and no one would come to see what is going on. He couldn't exactly throw him off, seeing he would be in pain each time he moved because of the grip he had on his bones. After he thought it was enough, he sank his claws deeper into his neck, severing tissues, blood vessels and windpipe, letting him gurgle on his own blood, then let him go, letting him land in a heap still twitching. He was satisfied with the kill. It was loud, alerting, yet messy and quick enough. Well timed.

The Nazgul soon left the area by jumping up onto the roof again and down once more on the other side behind the stone wall but not before taking a good look how the prey in the open took the kill and the sound that came with it.

The screaming girl was panicked and scared of course and she got help as fast as she could. Her story was easy to see as possibly a drunk girl who had lost it, however a set of cops took some interest and allowed her to lead them to the crime scene... Well, if you could call it that. With Ren it wasn't so much a crime as it was a hunt. He just had no need to collect the kills. When the cops saw the state of the body, the girl started explaining what happened before the kill, what the boy had tried to do. This of course caused some mixed emotions. While they did not wish the male's death there was a certain level of hatred towards him for his own crimes. The thought that whoever this was might have been a vigilante crossed their minds, someone who wanted to be a hero but went way too far.

Well... some of the prey did scatter at the kill, most of them going inside some kind of buildings. So, it didn't have exactly the desired effect. The man was loud... didn't they hear it? Ren tilted his head to the side and moved on the roof to see what the three were doing. The female came back and showed them the body of his kill. He tried listening in their conversation but with his scarce knowledge in the matter didn't help him either. The wraith decided to give a good warning to the people in the alley, suddenly releasing a fierce and sharp hiss from his position before going off to vanish.

These people didn't seem to be afraid of death? Strange...

The Nazgul then went off to hunt down those who actually did scatter and ran off to different directions. It was hard of course with so much light and scarce shadows, ending up to having to run across lit streets and make a kill actually in the open. He made two more in the town but this time took great care to rip more at the bodies before stalking back towards the tower. He can say he had half-success today. While he managed to kill, it was too scarce... He hoped it will be enough to scare the prey completely and make them aware of something... else... being in the town.

Hyano made it home before he did and sat on the couch, leaning back with her legs crossed. She had seen it all. Honestly she had expected a little more herself. Maybe a shooting, however it did count as lucky that no such thing happened. She flipped through channels on the TV until Ren finally came home.

"So, did you enjoy yourself?" She asked as if she was asking about his day at work, which considering who she was talking to it would probably count.

The Nazgul slipped into the house almost soundlessly, however shutting the door still wasn't his best talent, so ended up with more noise than he originally intended... These doors nowadays are easier to handle... They turn easily, however he still handled them with the same strength as the more difficult old doors. His attention was on her the moment she spoke, noticing her form on the couch, watching the black box no doubt. Of course he couldn't detect any signs of her being present the whole time, seeing she calmed down by now, her heart rate also went back to normal. Once in the living room, Ren started adjusting his cloak a little from all the running and ducking, then without saying a word he dropped down onto the couch, sitting and leaning against the back of it, letting his head rest on top of it.

If one didn't know his kind, they could actually think he looked almost worn out and dead tired.

However he was simply trying to hold himself back from going on a rant. He wasn't one to do that but he lacked the orcs to take his anger out on them... Wait... Raising his head, his gaze suddenly wandered towards the bathroom, staring at the door for a few seconds before standing once more without a word and started moving to the targeted location, stepping into the room and shut the door. He still had the body after all... He can rip at it all he wanted.

"Yes." He answered simply, deciding to speak up now. "I liked the challenge... But the prey is scarce. No matter... Tomorrow I am killing in the open." He informed her of his next step, not minding giving away his tactic.

Hyano watched him go to the bathroom, guessing he was going to rip at the body still in there. While it was dry as a bone it still could be used to let off steam. Well, the body was actually already ripped to shreds by now. All he could do was rip at the bigger bulk with the spine column and ribs where most of the flesh was still located, but with the absence of blood, it wasn't so satisfying anymore for him, she was certain. She smiled a little, knowing today had not gone as he planned. When he said the prey was scarce she tilted her head. Scarce? Did he see the same roads she did? Were they scarce or did he just have a hard time getting to them because of the light. She shook her head. No matter. She continued to flip through the channels until she came to the news. The wizard raised a brow as she saw them talking about Ren's stunts and how if anyone had any knowledge they should report it right away. Right. That wasn't about to happen.

"Huh... So I'm guessing that was your doing, right?" She asked, playing dumb as they showed pictures of the killings.

Ren wondered briefly if the mortals are looking for this dead male or not, or maybe he was a stray? Who knows? He slid the bigger chunk towards him and prepared to just rip at the ribs when she spoke up and peeked out of the bathroom, looking at her with his head tilted, not sure what she meant before he caught a glimpse of a dead body shown by the black box. He came back to the living room and stood by the couch, watching as some mortals started taking care of one of the bodies he indeed left behind. Good, they found it... however he couldn't understand much that was said.

"What are they saying?" He asked almost eagerly, wanting to know how well they could guess or what they think did all this, or if they are afraid yet. This was his aim, to make sure they notice something is wrong in the town and that a killer is on the loose, yet they should be unable to identify the person.

Hyano shook her head seeing how excited he was.

"They are asking people to call and give any information they might have about this. Apparently, they think that whoever killed the girl was a rapist and then those killed in the inner city was some crazy vigilante." She replied. "Before you ask a vigilante is someone who takes the law into their own hands and kills or hurts those that are doing wrong. A rapist is someone who forces people to mate with them." She said, trying to use words that the creature surely knew and waited for his reaction. He would not like this she was sure.

The Nazgul didn't do anything at first and didn't say a word, just stared at the screen as they showed the place where he killed his first victim... then the second at the house... then the alley and the others? Where are his two other victims? He killed them alright... He hissed in displeasure and formed his hands into fists, almost shrieking in anger.

"I have killed five. Don't tell me they can't connect all five in this tiny town to the same hunter... I should have ripped them all to shreds like my last two... They just found three? Where is my last two kill!" He demanded as if she can do anything about it. He can't believe these mortals. He wasn't sure what is going on... Do killings happen regularly, this is why they can't see the connections? Hmm... "I have to kill at least eight tomorrow night... In the open... Ripping them apart right at the eyes of these foolish mortals." He raged angrily, promising himself a bloodbath right then and there. How dare they give the credit of the kill to different people? Are they so ignorant?

Hyano couldn't help herself and started laughing.

"What did you expect? You to start killing and they automatically think it was a wraith? They don't even know you exist, Ren. How in Valar's name did you expect them to think it was a wraith, much less yourself? As far as they know it is some crack head who got a bad set of drugs." She pointed out to him. He just the other day had talked about how bad Middle- Earth was. He really didn't think this sort of thing had not happened before? There were insane humans out there. Many were caught, many got away.

The Nazgul hissed at her sharply and fiercely, finding it offending how she laughed at his -seemingly- unsuccessful hunt as it was. Of course she would laugh... She just got closer to victory today.

"I didn't say that I wanted it connected to a wraith, wizard. But connect them to a single person and not to five different ones. But tomorrow they will see the mistake. Blood will flow, terror will flood the town. I will rule their nightmares..." He trailed off and started walking back towards the bathroom, turning his back to the girl on the couch. "...They will scream for mercy... but there will be none given... Men... women... children... old... I don't care. They will find out what a wraith can do. Foolish mortals..." With this he slammed the door shut loudly and out of anger before throwing himself right at the pieces of the body he had in there, tearing at them how he could. This can't be that they didn't notice the unique ways he chose to kill. The claw marks... the rips on the throat and at the ribs... all of his victims had it, except the man in front of the house...

Are humans this ignorant?

Hyano sighed, then went and pulled out the ball from her pocket, tossing it, letting it hit the door of the bathroom. She assumed he might enjoy that object more than the one he was trying to destroy at the moment.

"We will see how that goes. You still have two more days." She replied calmly. She was not overly worried but was sure of how this would go. Tomorrow he would likely face guns, some panic and cars. Oh, that one would be interesting. How would he handle the moving metal objects? He would likely get hit at least once. Good thing he lacked a bone structure technically.

The sudden noise of something hitting the door made the wraith go silent for a good minute, the ripping of dried flesh and crushing of bones stopped a little. There was a slight shift inside and in the next moment one could see something dark dash out of the bathroom door, throwing himself right at the ball which happily bounced away from him by the sudden force that was applied to it. Of course the Nazgul didn't give up so easily and started chasing the ball, basically venting out his frustration on the little object, letting it bounce around as much as it wanted before enclosing it into his metallic grip. His gauntlets were still bloody. Not from the body of course but by the kills he made not long ago. The scent of blood did calm him somewhat, reminding him of his success in hunting but he still needed a little more aid.

And the ball was just... too bright to not notice... And tempted him by how fast it 'fled' from him.

Hyano giggled as she hugged her legs and watched him. She turned off the TV, not seeing anything worth watching anyway. She honestly was too tired to move at this point. Her body was weak from using so much magic to keep up with the wraith. It was a tiring experience and drained her. She didn't feel like explaining how she ended up in this situation, so she tried not to move just yet.

"You know, if you take away your killing nature you really are just a big kid." She told him with a smile.

After an unsuccessful dive, the ball bounced away from Ren, ending up rolling under the couch as he watched helplessly. He couldn't get it anymore... Oh well... Maybe it will come out on its own once it thinks it is safe? Who knows..? The wraith then turned his invisible gaze at the wizard on the couch and watched her, shaking his head a little.

"Kid?" He asked, clearly confused, not really understanding the word. Many use this word on 'dwarves' or just say it simply so just like the man which he killed in front of his house. Slightly disappointed that his toy was gone, the wraith sat on the couch next to Hyano and leaned back to sit comfortably. He was starting to feel fatigue as well. His anger, fury, disappointment all shielded the true amount of energy he truly has left. Which isn't much...

"Yes. Kids are known for playing and goofing around a lot. Short attention span and all that." The istar explained to him before leaning over and resting her head on his shoulder. She instantly felt more relaxed. Better even. She closed her eyes. "You tend to fit those qualities." She added, though she didn't mention the part about tantrums. While he did have those, she did not feel it would help her in any way to point this out. If anything, it might annoy the already annoyed wraith.

"I am not playing." He pointed out, shifting his arm a little to make their position a little more comfortable. At least for him. "I am entertaining myself." He nodded at his explanation, satisfied with it. To him, there was a huge difference between playing a game or entertaining one's self. Playing doesn't hurt anyone normally and it makes no sense on its own to him. Entertainment however means many things and not everyone might be amazed or enjoy his way of 'entertainment'. But again... the word 'kid' was still unknown to him and had still no idea what it meant. But no matter. He didn't need to know that.

Hyano allowed him to move and ended up resting her head against his chest instead. "Fine. Fine. You are a little better than a kid." She corrected teasingly as she closed her eyes to relax. "You at least are a lot taller anyway." She added. She had seen a very tall kid once. Poor boy had a growth problem. Sadly her magic could not fix that. Not easily anyway. The pain would be too much for him too bear. He ended up being remembered as the tallest man to have ever lived anyway so at least he had that much going for him.

Ren sat like this with her for a little while, trying to concentrate on his energy and maybe... this way his aura is stealing some energy from her in return, recovering him. She surely is well-rested, which means she has excess power she doesn't need. At least so he thought. However, as usual, he started to get restless, growing bored and simply losing interest in relaxing itself, his mind clearly thinking of ways to entertain himself. His hooded head slowly lowered to the wizard who seemed to be content lying against him and was brooding a plan first to try and get her back for laughing at him. He didn't forget that one of course. And never will. She needs to be 'punished' for that. However, lacking the means and 'weapons' for that, he decided otherwise. She surely is expecting something. Finally, sighing, the wraith decided enough is enough. He pushed away from the couch and stood up, making sure to direct her to sit fully on the furniture before walking about. His gaze was first attracted to the -now shut down- black box, at which he stared for a little while, contemplating if he should watch his show. Shrugging, he decided otherwise. First, his route brought him towards the bathroom but stopped short of it. The body wasn't enough to amuse him anymore. There was no blood in that and nothing more to truly tear at. One can't even recognize it as human. Sighing, he turned back towards the couch, his gaze focusing on the bottom of it, knowing where the bouncy ball vanished to but not wanting to mess with that either, he simply dismissed it. Soon after he simply walked into the kitchen. He could swear there was maybe one cupboard he didn't yet look inside...

Hyano grumbled under her breath about being moved but besides that allowed it as she cuddled up in the corner of the couch. She did watch him though, curious what he was up to. When she figured it out, she groaned.

"For the love of Valar, can you try not to make a mess again?" She called to him, stretching out until her back cracked before standing up finally. She felt oddly better which was good. She walked into the kitchen as well, her hands going to her pockets.

Her only reply was a hiss from the busy Nazgul, followed by some dish falling to the ground with its clattering noise and by the time she reached the kitchen a whole cupboard was emptied. He was fast... Of course his swift work could be thanked to the fact that there were only larger items, so there was not many to scatter around the room. He was already sitting cross-legged on the ground, flipping a pan in his hands, tilting his head to the side at the strange form of it, poked it, listening to the sharp noise it made before carelessly tossing it aside. It wasn't of any use to him, neither was it interesting enough. His next target was yet another cupboard, which actually contained some flour, some sugar, salt, pepper and all those little things one might need for baking and cooking. He only stared at all these things he failed to notice before, wondering what all these are for and what they smell like. Picking at them, he started with the flour, looking inside the sack it was in. He even reached inside and retrieved his index finger bathed into that white powder.

Hmm...

Hyano watched him for a moment, sighing when he made a mess of her kitchen. However, she smirked when he got to the powders.

"That is usually used for cooking." She answered his mental question, however she got a better idea for these product. "I wonder what you look like in white." She said as she walked up and took the bag from him, then in one go poured the whole contents of the bag all over him.

The Nazgul didn't even have time to shriek in surprise before the whole white stuff was all over him, thanks to his mate. He didn't even do anything at first but stayed in the same position, finally moving to look at himself. His dark cloak... now wasn't as dark. It was colored white now, everywhere he looked. Everywhere! He reached out and tried to swipe it off of his arm but had to realize that it doesn't come off this easily. Then a thought struck him... Is this thing... permanent? He hissed sharply at the idea and tried to swipe it off of him everywhere, even from his hood but it just didn't want to come off, only made it worse by making sure it got deeper into his clothing and the fabric itself. Ren stood and tried shaking it off but it was no use either. Slowly but surely his invisible gaze turned towards the wizard, who was by now no doubt laughing. She will pay for this... This was the only thought in his mind at the moment. Hissing at her, he reached down and retrieved another sack -which to her dismay contained sugar- and stalked towards her rather dangerously, surely not having anything pleasant in his mind.

Hyano was laughing hard. She knew how to get it off and would help him later but for now it was far too good not to just let him try and figure it out himself. When she noticed he was coming for her with...- oh no sugar! - She squealed, then took off running, getting to the other side of the kitchen. Like she was just going to let him cover her in sugar. As if. She would smell like a lollipop for a week if he did that. Though, by the look in his hood she was not going anywhere not covered in the substance by the end of the night.

Not missing a beat, the wraith ran right after her, holding the sack in his hands firmly, planning to right bath her in this thing! It smelled disgusting as it was and had almost the same feel as the white thing that she poured on him, with slightly bigger pieces. He will make sure she is covered in it alright, if this is the last thing he is doing. Hissing sharply he started running, chasing her towards the living room where he did everything in his power to try and catch up with her but she was of course much faster than him. He managed to get themselves separated only by the couch in the room. If he moved to either side, she moved in the opposite, so they made quite a few rounds around the furniture. Having enough of all this, he suddenly sprinted right forward, shrieking once, he threw himself right across the couch, flying over it, trying to get her this way.

While Hyano had hoped not to get anything but her kitchen dirty, in this case she would deal with it in order to not get covered in sugar. However, he obviously had other plans as he did everything to both keep up and catch her. When he finally had enough of running around the couch he did something a little unexpected and jumped over it.

"Gah?!" She squealed and tried to run backwards but was met by a wall and before she knew what happened she had been tackled by the much larger wraith. _How could something without a body weigh so damn much?_ She mentally complained as she went down and tried to struggle out from under him but it was no use. He had her. _Crud!_

Honestly... he wasn't expecting this to work, so as he slammed into her and they both tumbled to the ground, he didn't do anything at first but naturally kept her down with his own weight. He actually thought she will dodge to the side but seems like he succeeded in surprising her. Using this moment he sat up, making sure to keep her under him and grasped the sack full with sugar loosening his grip around the opening, then with a swift move he dumped all of its content onto her. Not only her head... But he also backed up according of how he poured and made sure she was covered in it right to her thigh. And he wasn't yet finished. As soon as the sack was mostly empty, he tossed it right away and started to roll her into it as best as he could, disregarding the stench of the substance. For now. He will keep away after.

The orange wizard squealed as she was covered head to toe in the sugar. While flour stuck, sugar did not stick quite as visibly as flour did and so while she did become sugar coated she did not turn into a white ghost like Ren did. She gagged as some got in her mouth, then grabbed a hand full of the substance and tossed it right for his hood aiming to get it right in there. Like she was really going to let it end like that. Please... By the time this was over they were going to look like walking 'all you can eat' buffets.

Ren shrieked and fell backwards on his back as the sugar managed to find its way right into his hood, making him sniff it much closer. He was disgusted by it and started sliding back from her, grabbing towards his hood and shaking it, trying to get it out of it. He hissed and spat like a furious cat, combined with very short bursts of shrieks, ending up back in the kitchen. He crashed against a cupboard and slid down in a sitting position. To his luck the sugar either went lower in his cloak or it got out by this time. Shaking his head again, the wraith's gaze fell on the container once more. Hmm... What is that... brown small sack there? He reached out and grasped the pack of pepper, looking at it. What is this? He opened it and instantly regretted it. The intense smell basically exploded at his hood and hissed, drawing away from it and held it away from himself.

Hyano quickly got up and shook her head before getting up and looking in the kitchen. Her mouth tasted like a sugar bowl now. She couldn't help but laugh at that before seeing Ren and laughing harder. She grinned, then opened the fridge and smirked as she held a tomato.

"We aren't done yet, Ren." She said, then got ready to throw. Sugar, flour and tomatoes. What next?

Actually... it didn't smell so bad... The wraith held the small sack of pepper in his grip as he noticed Hyano and watched as she opened that thing again. He tilted his head to the side as his gaze soon wandered to all the content this white thing had inside. Many strange... some disgusting looking stuff was stored in there... He wondered for what she needed all this. Noticing the red thing she picked up and noting her words, the wraith stood slowly, supporting his weight on the counter, facing his mate in an almost serious looking stare contest, both of them daring each other to strike first. He had a small sack of pepper in his hand, while she had a... red something. He couldn't quite see what it was.

Hyano grinned. This feeling felt all too familiar. Starting chaos for who knows what reason, though now they didn't have orcs to drag into it as well. She decided she would strike first. She threw the tomato, then quickly grabbed another one before ducking behind the fridge door leaving its contents open for Ren to see. Hyano didn't eat much but what she did eat was all fresh food. Fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Ren saw her movement and turned away his hood, only raising one of his arms slightly as a mostly useless way to try and shield himself from the oncoming 'projectile'. It still nailed the target and got smeared on a portion of the Nazgul's not so dark cloak. He hissed slightly and watched where she went before not thinking and launching himself at her, trying to get a good grip on her clothes at the very least and pour some of this dark thing onto it. At least it doesn't smell so bad like that white crystal thing he poured on her not long ago. Of course he also kept a good eye on the content of that container she just opened. Many possible 'weapons' seem to be there.

The wizard yelped as she was grabbed. She had yet to see what he had in his hand but she quickly realized what it was as it hit her. Pepper! She gasped and before she knew it she was in a complete sneezing fit. She fell to the floor sneezing from the pepper that kept getting in her nose. It was so heavy and in one shot. "D-damn it -achoo-! Not fair!" She yelled at him as she tried to get her breath back before grabbing another tomato and throwing it at him yet again.

Ren was quite surprised by the reaction she showed and tilted his head to the side as he didn't even need to hold her down; she was laying on the floor from the stuff. Does this mean that she hated this just as much as he did that white thing? He hissed in realization and looked at the small sack before moving to smear more into her hair. Revenge is so sweet. And to think of it, it didn't even smell so bad. As he did that, the tomato got him almost in the hood, landing above his chest. He hissed and drew back, looking at the red tint on his cloak. Soon enough, he was done with the initial shock and his gaze turned towards the white container that had all the 'projectiles'. He reached inside fast and retrieved another red thing she was holding before, dangerously nearing her.

Hyano was still sneezing. How could something that tasted so good make you sneeze this much? It was so maddening! It didn't help that every time she moved now more dropped out of her hair into her face. Thanks to this she almost missed Ren coming for her... Almost. She noticed him just in time and quickly grabbed a tub of dairy free yogurt and took off running. She grabbed a large spoon and using it like a catapult she started flinging globs of yogurt at her attacker, though, she was forced to stop every so often thanks to the sneezing.

The Ringwraith couldn't help but hiss as she gave out those sudden sounds again. He heard her do this in the shack, tree house and in the mines. No matter how many times she did this, he couldn't help but find it entertaining. Hissing sharply, he noticed as she moved away, slightly disappointed as she got away but didn't give up. He stood to the side and looked inside the fridge, taking a few more red fruits and gave chase. Once more they ended up around the couch, both of them ready to 'shoot'. He hissed and spat when that smelly thing landed on his cloak, not liking the stench but gave it right back with a red fruit, launching it at her while trying to dodge her 'attacks'.

Hyano yelped as she was pelted with a cold fruit. It probably wouldn't be nearly as bad if it wasn't so cold. She shivered slightly. It had gotten her head which in a way was a good thing. Now the pepper was no longer a powder in her hair but a goop, meaning less sneezing but the overall smell was still not pleasant. Alright, time to get him back. She shivered once, then smirked before running and jumping over him and trying to tackle him with her yogurt in hand.

Ren certainly didn't expect her to copy his tactic from before so let out a surprised shriek as she came close to him all too fast, appearing suddenly in his field of vision like that. He couldn't balance himself any longer and in the end landed on his back with a thud. At first he was stunned, unable to think and move but eventually straightened himself and 'attacked' right back, slamming the two remaining red fruits towards her, aiming at her face.

Hyano yelped as the two fruits hit her. A piece of one went down her back making her jump and squeal as her back was made slimy and cold slowly by the substance, however she still had a goal in mind and with one swift move she turned the tub of yogurt over and tried to pour it all on his head. Slime for slime... or was it an eye for an eye? Oh who cares, this was far too much fun to pass up.

As the stench of the white stuff grew stronger, Ren also noticed what she is about to do. He tried everything in his power to stop it from happening! He reached out and put both of his hands on either side of her shoulders and moved one of his legs under him, trying to unbalance her and switch their current position, trying to turn and avoid the trouble at hand. But it was too late... The disgusting goo landed with a -to him- sickening splat, fortunately on the side and top of his hood, not getting it inside, thanks to his new position. He hissed and spat like a furious cat as he tried to back off from it, feeling its stench so close. With a half shriek he eventually pushed against her and swung his free leg, switching their position in half fury half amusement.

The orange wizard squealed as she was flipped onto her back with the wraith on top. This made the tomato press into her back harder, making her shiver under him but she quickly forgot that and looked up at him. They currently lacked any ammo. Well, technically anyway. She grinned up at him before shaking her head like a dog knowing full well the tomato in her hair would go flying. She was hoping on at least some of it hitting him in the process.

The wraith groaned as she shook her hair, many droplets of that red stuff landing on his cloak which forced him to look away from her, turning his open hood to the side, preventing any from it landing inside. Having enough after a while though, he reached forward blindly and grasped her head in his hand while with the other he still pressed down on her shoulder, trying to stop her from shaking. Hissing once he reached out with his other and simply put it in her hair... just to be sure. No more shaking!

Hyano hissed when he grabbed her. She had turned her head at the wrong moment and his gauntlet had scratched her cheek. It was nothing serious but enough to shock her slightly. She blinked as he used his other hand in her hair and blushed despite herself. She knew better than to think he was trying to show any form of affection. He didn't know any such feelings. Well, not anymore anyway but that didn't stop her heart from skipping a beat.

"Truce?" She asked and giggled lightly, knowing well that they reached a stale mate.

Ren stared at her for a little while, not saying a word back, thinking about what she said. Truce? No such thing is happening as long as he lived. He was prideful by nature and determined to win for his own gain or for his all too silent Lord. Truce means weakness; it means that one is so afraid of the other that for the first sign of avoiding defeat... one goes for it. He wasn't such a type. He fights until he cannot anymore... But... Does he really want to spend so much energy trying to win this little brawl, yet risk that he cannot regenerate through the day and could lose the war, so would have to do exactly what his mate said for three days...? He hummed.

"Truce." He said slowly before raising his hands from her head and hair, sitting back, leaning away from her. Fine... he will let it be this way but just because he will gain from it.

Hyano watched him for a moment, waiting for his decision before smiling as he chose to accept her offer, then moved back from her. She was a little disappointed as he moved away bit quickly shook that off and sat up as well. She giggled lightly as she got a good look at the both of them. They looked like someone shot them with a food gun.

"Do you want some help cleaning up? I'm pretty sure getting all that off will take forever alone." She suggested as she picked at her sleeve, watching as the tiny white pieces of sugar dropped from it. She could also smell the pepper and yoghurt in her hair… Ugh.

Ren tilted his head to the side at her observation and turned his gaze to his cloak first. It... was... catastrophic! He hissed at the stench that came from it, smelling that white stuff she threw at him along with the combined smell of that red stuff and the white powder. Furthermore whatever else she still threw at him and he didn't notice or couldn't remember. He raised his arm to look at his sleeves, then turned to look at his back -or how much he could see from it-, then at his stomach area before looking at her. This was when he stopped dead and would have snickered if he could or knew what it was for. Instead he became wordless and just kept staring. Her hair... was... amusing. It was sticky and standing completely strange with all the red fruit, white crystal thing and the dark spice he threw at her. It all was mixed together now and made her hair stand on end and be completely tangled... almost looked... solid instead of her usual loose style. Soon enough he reached out and started poking her hair with his index finger, then without a warning started a massaging movement, only worsening the way her hair stood, then stopped and watched her again.

Priceless.

Hyano was caught a little off guard when he put his hand in her hair yet again and started messing with her hair. She knew he was trying to make matters worse but it also felt kind of... good. Despite herself she leaned into his hand until he pulled away. She relaxed a little, then smiled.

"We look horrible." She stated, thinking someone might as well.

The Nazgul did not nod, instead pointed at her.

"No. You look horrible..." He didn't see most part of his own cloak, so could not determine the true damage dealt but he also simply didn't care about dirt or blood or anything as long as they didn't start bothering him. The sight itself did not but the stench... That it did... Hissing and shaking his head at this all he backed up more and stood up, finally trying to clean at least some of that white goo off of himself by wiping at it. It mainly just smeared it more over his dark clothing while a small portion did come off, which landed on the floor. However he couldn't get to all places and he had yet to see his hood...

The istar laughed, rolling her eyes. Of course he would say that. He would say he looked fine even when covered in blood. She guessed food wasn't that different. When she noticed he was making matters worse she quickly got up and caught his hands.

"Come on. Let's go outside. I will spray you down with some water and you can dry off throughout the day." She suggested, assuming that was a better option than him trying to and failing to clean himself in this manner.

The Nazgul looked at her; once more his attention averted by her entertaining look but after some time shook his head a little and took his hand away from her, continuing his work stubbornly.

"Outside? In the sun? No." He replied curtly, not wanting to end up blinded out there or people seeing him, perhaps recognizing him before darkness. And the sun wasn't the most amazing feeling on one's skin if one is a dark creature. He hissed at the thought and continued on, wiping more of that white goo off of him cloak, holding onto a few drops of the yogurt and simply flung it at her.

Hyano laughed at his answer, then sighed.

"Fine. I didn't want to dirty it anymore but it will be okay." She grabbed his hand again but this time she tugged him to the bathroom. Once in there, she turned in the water before putting it on the shower setting. She let it get to a perfect temperature before stepping back. It was more for herself than him honestly. She was sick of being cold. Her back and head and most of the rest of her body were freezing thanks to those stupid tomatoes.

Ren didn't know where they are going at first, so out of curiosity he let her lead him where she wanted to go but it didn't take him long to realize their destination. Once inside, he watched as she turned on the water and instantly backed away from her with a sharp hiss, covering away from the annoying thing like it was... fairy jam or... that yogurt she threw at him. Water... was... awful. It not only felt strange when he was trying to swim in it, he also couldn't float on its surface due to his gear but he also felt so extremely heavy once it got into his cloak. And considering what she seemingly wanted to do... it will make him extra heavy as the main goal was to get it onto his cloak and more than likely wash down what dirt is on it.

The young woman crossed her arms at the stubborn creature.

"It is either this or you take off the cloak and allow me to wash it another way. Though, since we both know you are more likely to put flowers on your clothes than take it off… I think this is a better option." She said, then held her hand out to him. "I will help you dry off when we finish... trust me." She offered, looking up into his hood, hoping he would take her word for it for once.

And she once more challenged his authority. The Nazgul gave out a near growling sound at her for it as a warning and watched her for a while. She was right. He would never take off his cloak... and he didn't mind dirt at all... So maybe he just... At this moment a drip of the yogurt she threw at him fell from his hood, falling onto his chest. He watched the sudden movement and was met with the stench of it. Hissing, he finally made up his mind and went forward, accepting her will for now. He will let her wash it off... but he will keep a good eye on her. He stepped up next to her, then into the basin but was wary of the water, so hesitated. He hated the stuff.

Hyano was careful as he hissed, not sure what she had done but waited all the same for him to make a choice. She worried for a second that he would choose to stay that way. If so, she was going to point out that the stuff he was covered in was going to start smelling very badly very quickly and then sneaking up on anyone would become virtually impossible because they would smell him coming. However, with a drip of the yogurt on his head he finally gave in. She pulled out the spare scrub brush and as the water started to loosen up the goo on him she used the brush to brush it off. She hoped this would help speed up the process so she wouldn't have to hear him complain for too long.

Ren was basically ready to get away from there and dash from the 'bath'. He could feel the water dripping onto his cloak, then seep into it, drenching his spectral form. He started to feel heavier each minute that went by, every once in a while he would voice his displeasure by either stepping away from the water, only to be dragged back or by hissing for many seconds at a time when she came to places where she needed to brush more. He felt the wet stuff seep into his hood as well, no matter how he held his head down... It was starting to become unbearable. He tried shaking his hood but that didn't help him much, then shook most of his cloak, which made all the substance that was on him -including water- drip everywhere.

The Nazgul hated water.

The orange wizard yelped as he shook off, making water go everywhere. Well, there goes taking a shower after him. She sighed, stepping back from him for a second, then took off her shirt. She felt a slight blush appear on her cheeks but tried to not let this bother her. According to her knowledge and how ignorant to this change Ren was, he didn't seem to care about her state of clothing. This didn't make the situation less awkward, though. She didn't need it anymore at this point anyway. All that tomato that had been thrown at her made the thing practically see-through.

"You know, if you just stay still I can get this done a lot faster." She told him a little annoyed, trying to shield her embarrassment. She went ahead and put her head in the water, allowing some of the substances to be washed out so her hair could fall more correctly rather than sticking up like she was hanging upside down. She then went back to work, trying to clean his cloak.

Well, her move was slightly unexpected and unfortunate. As she stepped under the shower, not only did Ren need to step forward a little to give her room but also he ended up at the very edge of the shower basin. His metallic boots and his heavy wet cloak didn't help his cause either. He didn't need to make one single step and his bad sense of balance did everything else for him. The wraith shrieked loudly as he felt his feet slip from under him and tried desperately to grasp anything to stop his fall but the fact that there was glass everywhere prevented such action. To avoid the accident, he eventually turned slightly halfway and grasped Hyano's shoulder, intending to gain back balance with her help.

The orange wizard blinked when all of a sudden he was being thrown off balance. Should have at least made him take off those boots! When he turned around and put his whole weight on her, she yelped. Normally the fact she didn't usually wear shoes would have helped but not when the person putting weight on her was going down and weighed far more than she did. Before she knew it, they were both going down with him on top of her. She groaned.

"So... damn heavy..." She grumbled as she tried to push him off.

Well... that didn't work... Ren basically gave up trying when he felt her slip as well and they both tumbled down into the basin. He relaxed a little, seeing tensing up would only worsen the fall but thankfully -at least so he thought- no one got hurt. The glass seemed to be intact as well despite his metal gear hitting it not even once. The Nazgul hissed at her when she accused him of being so heavy.

"I am not heavy. The water in my cloak is." He explained firmly before trying to get up with not much success. His metal gauntlets also kept slipping on the smooth surface of the basin, causing him to just keep falling until he just... buried the sharp tips of the metal gloves into the glass, succeeding to at least raise most of his body from her, sitting halfway. But his luck ran dry eventually. The smooth surface couldn't hold his weight and his claws started to slice the glass, creating that extremely sharp screeching noise, which caused the wraith to shriek as well, annoying him to no end. Having enough, he removed his claws from it, which caused him to fall forward and to the side, slipping in the basin further, falling onto his back. Thank Lord his awkward falling angle made sure their places were swapped. Or else she might have ended her day as a pancake.

Hyano grumbled some curses under breath. Several times when he fell his claws had scratched her. Nothing serious but it now looked like a cat had gotten to her arms. Thank goodness he finally stopped moving and now she was on him. Though... as the thought hit her she was left blushing. She was on top of Ren... not wearing a shirt... well this was just fantastic! While this took care of the tomato on her back this did nothing to stop her face from turning red as a tomato. Luckily Ren does not feel nor understand these things so she tried to laugh it off.

"Ren... It might be best if you just stay still until we finish and I turn off the water." She suggested to him.

At first, Ren didn't see and sense anything from her change of mood, as he was too busy shaking his head in an attempt to get rid of the water at his hood at the very least and their position also allowed the flow of water to get to his hood, making him move a little to try and get away from the jet. His struggle stopped when he finally found a position where the water did not reach him, letting Hyano catch it for him, making sure she was in the way of the water flow, ending up positioning his head in front of her.

"But it is annoying!" He exclaimed, clearly not at all pleased neither with the water, neither with their position. This was when he noticed her change in temperature and color on her cheeks or so his sight told him. He tilted his head to the side and stared at her at first, awaiting maybe some explanation but seeing she didn't offer any or perhaps didn't notice it, he couldn't help but ask. "Your blood is flowing to your face again..." He said and reached out, pointing at her cheeks with his index finger curiously. He could swear she already explained to him what it meant, but he forgot... It was nothing unusual, though. Any information that does not aid him in any way is shoved out of his memory, leaving only what he needed.

Hyano turned an even deeper shade of red and looked away.

"It means a few different things... Embarrassment more often than not... I am kind of sitting on you half naked... On a normal male that would... result in some..." She gritted her teeth. He always had to make this so hard, didn't he. "It would normally make two people feel attraction but considering you don't feel that, it is rather... one sided." She tried to explain, though, she had a sinking feeling he still wouldn't understand. Damn did she wish she could make him feel what she felt... It would make this all a lot easier.

As she expected, the wraith just kept staring at her, now tilting his head to the other side, not exactly understanding what she meant. Well, he knew now what attraction is, as she did explain that to him once... Well... he knows as much as he could remember from what she said... which isn't much... But wait...

"Once-sided?" Does this mean she is attracted now? All the while she talked to him or described him there was no word of her being attracted to him in any way... And she had her toys. Which she doesn't have now. Thanks to him at that. It was hard to think that she would feel that close to him as wanting to mate, considering most of their days they spend arguing... He had little understanding of what one needs for the act itself and knew that understanding and a firm bond is a must for the mortals.

Hyano looked to him finally, then sighed.

"Yes... one-sided... I am attracted to you... Before you say anything about the toys, will you please just listen for once? I had them because I was alone and I didn't remember ever being mated to you. That was honestly it. There is no replacement or anything like that. As far as what I do remember so far we never... did that sort of thing. I was still too young at the time to really care. But if you haven't noticed… no actual creature ever replaced you." She told him, hoping this time it wouldn't all end in an argument.

And yet Ren still stubbornly refused to believe her. If she remembered some things, -hell she remembered his name when they saw each other again- then she surely must remember everything or forgot him all too easily when they were separated. He didn't say a word but stared at her, signaling his denial of this. He still thought she was replacing him alright, not being loyal as she should have, hurting his pride and honor at the same time, wounding and disrupting their bond, almost -if not already- severing it completely with her unacceptable behavior and actions. It wasn't just about the toys of course but how she behaved with him. Refusing orders and refusing to acknowledge his dominance over her. So in return he will refuse to acknowledge her 'attraction' and refuse to offer her his 'services'. Services he had no need of but would have given her to maintain her loyalty. She will have to live with that now. His way of paying her back.

Hyano sighed when she realized he still was all too angry about this to consider anything.

"... I wish you could have been there..." She whispered softly, then decided to move off of him. No matter what she said or did he would not listen. If only he could have been there, seen what was happening and have proof of the truth... but there was no way to do that. She could not reverse time and even if she could… he might think of it only as a magical trick.

As soon as she moved away Ren managed to sit up after a few slips and curses in Black Speech, not at all minding that the extra weight was gone. He used the sharp tips of his claws to get a good grip on the basin before actually sliding out of it and standing up outside... drenched with water. He hissed at the heavy weight and shook his cloak a little, then proceeded grasping a part of it and squeezed some of the water out. The Nazgul hissed. This will be a long process. He also refused to talk to her again or even look at her, his anger coming right back from the depths of his soul where he ushered it after he failed to kill her the last time. After that he didn't think about this whole thing, only to remember it again.

The orange wizard turned off the water and sat in the tub, not bothering to get out since with his shaking she would likely get wet anyway. She was feeling too depressed to move anyway. Again, they were in a place of anger when... just a moment ago everything was fine. He even seemed… almost happy. However, that stupid wraith and his damn stubborn nature... He just refused to believe her. It could have happened with him watching and he still wouldn't believe her.

Well, at the very least the stench was gone... and the disgusting goo with it. The Ringwraith shook himself a few times and continued squeezing the water out of his cloak but it was a slow process. And he hated every moment of it. This is why he never 'took a bath' or cleaned his clothes with water. It takes too long to dry off and he knew it will last a whole day if not two to be completely rid of the wet feeling. While he struggled he couldn't help but look her way, sneaking a peek of what she is doing, not hearing any noises from her. He tilted his head to the side as she didn't seem to want to move. Now what is wrong with her? Not like she has a reason to behave this way, she seems to be like a prey who gives in and accept defeat and so death. She was the one who created the trouble for herself.

Hyano felt his gaze on her and turned her eyes to him to confirm the feeling before turning her eyes back to the now scratched wall. She would have to use a spell on that later but her mind was hardly on that right now, though.

"There is no way for me to prove to you what I'm saying is true, is there?" She asked him, though, she already knew the answer. Part of her mind just wanted confirmation. She wanted to prove to herself that what she was trying to do was hopeless... As hopeless as bringing back an old friend who didn't want to come back. The voice from her dream echoed in her mind, which only made the situation worse. Was it truly right? Were all the words it uttered the truth?

Ren was about to say a curt no, even preparing for that rather well but she looked so... miserable... and... almost broken, that even with his emotionless state he just couldn't go and deny her something he didn't even know about. Besides, she is his only servant in this world now, even if she lost his trust. Honestly, he didn't know if she can prove the truth of her words... All he knew what he believed and he also knows that she has different beliefs. But he lacked the knowledge of how she can prove it to him. If she can somehow convince him... then she may try. Otherwise, she better accept that she messed up.

"Perhaps." He said as he stopped squeezing the water out of his cloak for a second before continuing. However he cannot reply further because he does not know how she could achieve that.

Hyano blinked a little, surprised by his answer. However, it made her smile all the same.

"I will do my best." She said, her mood brightening already just with that simple word. She stood up and grabbed a towel. She did a basic hand dry of herself before putting it on her hair, then grabbed a hairdryer. "Come on. Let's go to your room so I can use this to help dry your cloak off more quickly." Besides that he was flooding her floor at the moment which really wasn't helping him at all.

Ren's only reply to her determination was a nod but otherwise did not acknowledge it all. It is up to her from now on to try and prove him wrong. Her sudden change of mood didn't go unnoticed and couldn't help but shake his head slightly at this, finding it rather entertaining how such simple words can change the behavior of the living. As she stepped out and suggested they go to 'his room', -which he didn't know what it was since every room in this house is his room- he watched as she once more produced an item he failed to see before. He stopped squeezing his cloak and stepped closer, looking at the strange object.

"What is this?" He asked, pointing at the small thing in her hand. How can something as small help him get dry anyway?

"It's called a hairdryer. I normally use it for my hair but in this case it will work fine for you. It just will take a little while." The istar explained to him. While she was at it, she might as well throw her clothes in the wash. It was a good chance to show him the spinning of a washing machine. He would like it she was sure. She walked out of the bathroom, grabbing up her shirt, then made a stop at her room getting a change of clothes before heading downstairs. She went ahead and plugged in the device before going to the corner of the room and throwing her clothes in the washer. She also threw in some detergent before starting it.

Ren tilted his head to the side as he looked down at the device she just described, trying to piece all this together in his mind and guess how it actually worked. He doubted that he would have more luck by prying it apart than at that 'phone', or how she called that thing. The wraith followed her as she went, wanting to see which of the many rooms she considered 'his room'. Of course every room is his. Once he saw her go downstairs, he guessed she meant the basement where he stored all his items. Walking right after her, the Nazgul decided to go and sit in his corner but before he could reach it a strange noise caught his attention. He didn't even look what she was doing and only then did he notice the other unusual machine in the room. He hissed in surprise as it started the washing process, drawing back from it slightly, watching it cautiously, slowly nearing it but was ready to jump right back if it did something unexpected.

Hyano watched as -like an animal- he looked at the device she had long ago gotten used to with skepticism. She smiled, putting her hands on her hips.

"This is a washing machine. You use it to clean your clothes. When this finishes washing them you put them in this one and it dries them." She explained to him as she tapped on the dryer next. It was simple enough. "If you like, you can watch while I work on drying your robes." She suggested as she moved where she had plugged the hairdryer just a little closer to the washing machine so he could watch as her clothes spun around.

The wraith wasn't sure if he wanted to... The description yet again lacked the explanation of how it actually worked. And if he didn't understand, then he stayed away from it... or pulled it apart... But with it going with what it is supposed to do... It would be difficult. The Nazgul backed up a little from the machine as if not even wanting to have anything to do with it but soon stopped and watched as the clothes started to spin...

Now... this was interesting.

His attention was caught by the most bright clothes and his gaze followed them as they spun, making his head move slightly in a circular motion. He just stood there, watching, slowly lowering himself to sit.

And like a child he was enthralled by the mystery which is the power of the washing machine. Hyano still couldn't figure out how watching clothes tumble was so entertaining but it really was. She sat beside him, taking the towel off of her hair and put it to the side. Once she was sure everything was ready, she started the hairdryer on the highest setting, then took his sleeve and started her work drying his clothes. It still would take a long time to finish but at least he would be entertained through a good amount of it.

It was actually amusing... almost like a spell... The Ringwraith couldn't look away no matter how he tried. It was amazing on its own way yet so simple. What only increased his experience were the bright colors of the clothes inside. However despite all this his attention was averted as soon as the hairdryer was started. He looked at it, then at her as she worked, noticing how she held it towards a part of his cloak. He of course didn't feel the heat of it but just hoped it won't set his clothes aflame... Shrugging, he once more concentrated on the washing machine.

The wizard giggled. Once she finished with one sleeve she walked around to his other side and started work on that one as well. By the time she finally finished the clothes were done and ready to be switched to the drier. Not wanting her companion to be bored she did just that. She threw in a softener cloth with the rest of her clothes, then started that one. She then started working on his back and hood since they were both the most heavily made wet. They would take a long time thanks to this, though.

By the time she finished the wraith lost interest in the machines, having seen how they work and simply it took all too long. The wraith started growing bored and moved a little each minute, making her work harder than it already was. Many would have screamed and tried to flee, seeing the hairdryer by now was hot but Ren didn't feel temperatures so didn't know. All he felt was the pressure of the blown 'wind' and that's it. As soon as she finished he fled from his position, wanting and feeling the need to move about. He sat in one place for too long and needed to get going. Once standing, the Nazgul shook his cloak a little, adjusting it completely... It felt a little different than how it did before... Much lighter of course but also... Simply the texture... seemed a little softer than the usual 'hardened by age' feeling. He decided he didn't like it but now he had to deal with it. Moving farther away, he checked on his items before finally nearing the interesting but strange washing machine cautiously, extending a hand, he even poked the thing once. It was hard... of course. He tilted his head to the side and started examining the thing from the outside.

Perhaps... he can pull it apart too?

Hyano's hand was stiff as a board by now. Next time she should just kick him in the hood and take his clothes off. Would be a lot faster than all this at least. She started rolling her wrist and cracking her knuckles to relax her hand, watching Ren as he explored the machine again. When she saw that look she groaned.

"Don't." She said simply. "I kind of need that thing. Unlike you… I wear more than one outfit in the span of my lifetime." She added, then stood up making her way up stairs.

The wraith sighed and eventually gave up. For now. He wasn't one to just admit defeat, be it by a person or technology. He will find out how it worked. Perhaps he could study this world just like Uvatha would do? Nah... He lacks the patience to read for hours if it wasn't for something extremely interesting. He shook his head and only after a few minutes he started following Hyano up the steps, stopping in the room and looking around. His gaze once more traveled to the black box but somehow watching the show didn't seem so... exciting anymore. It was to some degree but that feeling was gone. He took one more step forward and glanced at the couch. The bouncy thing was still under it... and he didn't feel like retrieving that now. Hissing, he found he was bored once more and had nothing to do other than preparing for his hunt. But meditating now? No... He would lose the energy by the time night came. In his boredom he actually approached a bookshelf and reached out, picking out a random book from the stack, running his clawed finger along the title he couldn't understand. He slowly opened the book and flipped a few pages.

No pictures... no drawings... Just text he didn't understand.

With a hiss he lazily dropped the book and went for the next, grasping it and looking at the cover before something caught his eye and stopped what he was doing. Simply dropping the current item he was holding, he reached to the shelf and picked off a familiar looking book. Brown cover... looked old... While he didn't understand the title, the letters seemed familiar... He saw this book before... Ren tilted his head to the side and flipped it open, finding that there was some kind of paper right at the place where they have been five thousand years ago... Not wasting time, he turned around and searched for his mate in the room. Finding her, he slowly walked up to her and showed her the old book and the page where they left off.

"You never finished." He simply said, remembering how she used to show him what the book said with her slightly annoying music and the sand figures.

Hyano blinked, then took the book from him with a piece of toast in her mouth. She had yet to really eat so she figured some toast would do her some good. She looked over the book. Memories flashed in her mind of days where she would spend hours reading and telling stories to him. She guessed that now she could translate it so he could understand it but... well that would ruin some of the fun, now wouldn't it.

"Alright." She said, then walked through the living room to a set of double doors. She opened them and inside was a piano. She had not drawn his attention to this room on purpose because the things in here were very old.

Finally... something to do. A little entertainment cannot harm Ren, especially when he was bored. He actually expected that she sits down, draws her flute and starts playing but watched with curiosity as she walked off, leaving him behind. No such thing! He followed her in a direction he never truly explored, seeing this part seemed to be more boring than anything. She opened a door and behold! He stopped in the doorway as he let his gaze wander around the items here. Some looked familiar as he saw them before but most was rather interesting... He never saw them and automatically found interest in seeing them from up close and touch them, find out what it was. And with his Lord not denying his curiosity to work, he can do whatever he saw fit.

The wizard set the book down on it before walking away. "I will be back with the sand. Be careful. Nothing in here can be replaced." She warned him before walking out to go get the sand.

_Please let him listen for once!_

Once she went outside the Nazgul only nodded in reply and walked in, stopping at that big black thing in the middle of the room, where she placed the book on. At first he was just staring, turning around and watching the other items as well, before focusing on the nearest thing. He stepped closer to it and reached out, poking its hard shell. Tilting his head to the side, he decided to see more and put a metal-covered hand on its surface, trying to test its density. It was hard alright and smooth, even clean. He walked to its front and observed the interesting shape of it. Seeing the lid on the keys was down he couldn't see the white buttons, so did not try to make sound with it. Well, he did look for a way how it worked or what it does but couldn't find anything...

When she came back with a small pouch Hyano giggled lightly when she saw him and his natural curiosity. She walked up and poured the sand on the body of the piano. She whispered a soft spell over it before taking a seat. The book was set up as if it was piano music. In this case the story was her music. She was a little curious to see if he would like this kind of music any more than he liked her flute. She opened the lid revealing the black and white keys, then looked over the story one last time before she started to play. The sand started to move, like before it told the story for her. Not because she couldn't but because this was far more fun.

As she lifted the lid the wraith couldn't help but curiously peek at what it covered, seeing the great contrast between the black shell and the white keys. His curiosity was only increased once the music started. It wasn't a flute of course, so did not sound the same way. It wasn't the best tune either but at the very least it wasn't as... irritating as the flute. Or maybe he only found it strange because he never heard this before? Who knows...? One is certain... He liked it more than the flute. Ren soon stepped closer and watched the sand figures doing their thing, telling him the story what the book had to say in that chapter, leaning forward and folding his hands on the piano, resting his head over them. Somehow he suddenly felt lazy and strangely calm, maybe it was the figures acting this way and it rubbing it off on him or maybe this music...

Who knows...?

Hyano smiled. Pianos had this odd ability to calm anyone. It was a stringed instrument yet its music seemed to fill the air like a wood wind. She closed her eyes and continued to play, the figures moving the story. When this chapter ended the next one was slightly more violent. So the music changed with it. With her flute it was harder to play the proper music to match this kind of scene, however the piano more easily shifted to the story. This seemed to give the figures more detail. That or time had helped her learn better control over the sand and in turn gave her the capabilities needed to give the figures more detail. In either case it made the story all the more realistic.

Ren was pleased that she did not stop playing and instead started showing him what the next story was about, what more pleased him that the happenings were more intense, violent and matched his taste, making him raise his head from his folded arms, watching the figures more closely. He didn't move from his spot, content to watch it from this one angle. Not like it would be more different anyway. Every once in a while he would get lazy again and put his head back on his arms, hissing. The book was rather interesting and wondered if there are others like this. The magic in the room also kind of soothed his senses, giving his spectral form the false security of having enough of it in the world, making him less tense and able to concentrate on the story itself.

Their bodies again were working like a battery. This meant less magic was wasted, however this might mean something else as well.

With this thought in mind she decided to stop playing as the next chapter ended.

"... Tell me... If we could not separate when we reached the new world would you consider that a problem?" She asked him. Technically, the question was random but considering their relationship just about everything they did with each other was rather random so she saw little problem with that.

Ren was of course disappointed when the music ended, causing the figures to disappear as well, and landing in a heap like normal sand. He hissed in annoyance at this but before he could voice his irritation she spoke and asked him the rather unexpected question. The wraith tilted his head to the side in surprise and curiosity watching her from his position, not sure why she suddenly asked him this. If they could not separate? What does that mean? They can surely separate, like... kill her and he was free to take another mate. Or did she mean it differently? No... Yes? Hmm...

"Depends on your... intentions." He decided to answer, tapping the smooth surface of the piano with a metal-covered hand. "But why do you ask?"

"Because when I am near you… I feel fine... When we separate I start to get weak. I have a feeling... that... even when we get to the new world this might be a problem." The orange wizard said, being honest with him. If she was right, then there was a risk that unless they were together they would not be able to consume the magic in the atmosphere, unless they are together. In that case they were likely to have a problem, though, she wasn't about to bring it up. Fact was, even though they were 'friends' they were on different sides. One would have to dominate the other at some point.

Ren listened to her silently, stopping the tapping to give her his full attention. What she said wasn't foreign actually... He knew that much that the recovering meditation doesn't last as long when he is resting near her, however when he is farther away it can take him five hours, which is just too much. Her presence does seem to somehow affect his energy gain but that she is the same way affected... They never were this way. They had no trouble back then five thousand years ago. They could be separate for many years and they still existed apart from each other. So why would they be so depending on one another like this now? He wondered... if it has anything to do with his awakening from the 'statue'. She told him he absorbed a part of her magic to come back to 'life'. Does this cause their problem now? Are they...

"Infused?" The Nazgul asked, tilting his hooded head to the other side, watching her confused. "I am using your magic..."

"In a way." Hyano replied. "It is..." She thought about the best way to explain before deciding to make use of the sand. She flicked her hand and two figures appeared, one being him and the other her. The sand started to move between them in a circle, creating a circuit. "This is how I think our magic is currently flowing. When we are together we are able to consume magic. You cannot make use of the pure magic that remained on Middle-Earth, so your body demands it from me, drawing it and converting it to what you need, while this forces my own powers to take in more than it would need, so it flows between us... however." She separated the two figures and the circle broke or became slower. Slowly the magic that was left between the two grew thinner and thinner. "When we separate neither of us can consume magic anymore and the magic that we do have starts to fade..." She explained. "My guess is that this will continue into the new world. Even though there will be more magic and we will grow stronger faster... we won't be able to do much with it when we aren't together. You will not have dark magic there… and I am infused with you, so it can only flow if we are together."

"And it is because I took the magic from you to... exist." Ren added to it, crossing his arms over his chest slowly watching the figures as she explained to him how the magic around them worked now. He strongly believed and knew that this is the result of his 'awakening' when he lacked magic for a while and once she came around his spectral form sensed the oncoming source, using it to grant him escape from the edge of the Abyss. It did convert to the type he needed but it was still hers. He wasn't happy with it, though... "This can be a problem... A weakness..." He explained his thoughts in only a few words, knowing he didn't need to say anymore. If this truly will be the case in the new world, then they will be extremely vulnerable when separated... He hated weaknesses... He just hoped that it won't be the same way there when magic is plenty. But then he stopped his thoughts and looked at her from the figures and stared at her with his head tilted. "New world? So... this means you will take me with you?" They had this conversation of course many times but so far he felt she denied him the right to go... Which he didn't like of course and was thinking of ways to force her into it... Seems like it was long decided then... They can't exist without the other if it all is true.

Hyano blinked at the question, then giggled.

"Well duh. I never planned on leaving you behind." She told him as if his question was silly. To her it was. Why would she leave him behind? So he can turn to stone? No...

"No, not again..." She said, starting to look sad. "I won't let you turn to stone again, Ren... Not if I can help it."

* * *

**Weeeee cut it right here.**

**Wow, it became a long chapter after all, even we didn't expect it, but simply found no appropriate place where to separate them.**

**Hope you all liked it.**

_CA Productions_


	7. A New Perspective

**Avp: Once again, a new chapter. We hope you will enjoy it.**

**Cubby: Who said we cared?**

**Avp: What? Of course we care. I mean they are our readers. We-**

**Ren: I never said I cared! I am a wraith and despite what Hyano thinks I am not a 'caring' kind of guy.**

**Hyano: I must admit it is kind of rude to be putting words out there for us, Avp, without actually asking us first.**

**Avp: You know what?! Fine! Do you all care if the readers enjoy the chapter?!**

**Cubby: Well duh.**

**Ren: Of course. How else am I going to get my cookies?**

**Hyano: Kind of a dumb question, Avp.**

**Avp: Gah! *Head explodes***

**Cubby: And that my friends is how we here drive our boss insane. Enjoy the show, everybody!**

_CA Productions_

* * *

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

* * *

Chapter 7 - A New Perspective

Hyano sat on the front stoop. The day was very young, the sun was only about to rise above the horizon, which was hidden by the tall buildings around her. The nature -at least what was left of it- began to awaken, birds chirped loudly, flying about as if greeting the wizard. But this was not what she was waiting for.

It was the morning after night three of Ren's little romp through the city.

She already knew the results.

She had followed him for the majority of it until she was sure he had failed. Which -to say the least- he had.

Night two had worked out well... Well, at least to Ren it had. She had not told him that most of his victims that night had been nothing short of criminals but he had gotten a few good kills in. Last night, though,... was not nearly as close. The police had come to play this time and Ren was not nearly prepared for it. Hyano had watched as the police practically backed Ren into a corner and forced him to run. She kept her hand at the ready. If he really needed her help she would have stepped in. The last thing they needed was for him to get caught. If Ren thought the police were bad he would go mad when he was subject to the experiments of the scientists.

She of course beat him home and sat on the stoop waiting for him to come back home as well.

* * *

Ren hissed silently as he neared the tower, his senses all extended, high on alert. Just in case he was followed.

Well... It didn't go as easily as he thought it would...

At first it wasn't so bad. His second was rather successful. He managed to kill many people in the open causing fear in the hearts of many, making them scream, call for help and for mercy when they saw him. People scattered just by the sight of him!

And he loved every moment of this!

He savored the feeling of dominance, terror and power, herding the people out of entertainment around, killing as many as he could.

But his strain of luck was mercilessly severed on the third night...

The Nazgul was just exiting the first house he made a kill in when he heard the sudden deafening noise of sirens and the sound of barking dogs spooked him at first. Lights blinded him and he fled. He couldn't stop anywhere, though. They were everywhere! As if waiting for him at every corner. His shriek did the trick a few times, mostly making dogs flee and stop barking, those soldier humans also seemed to back down. But shrieking also costs energy... Energy he couldn't lose too much of. He was forced to flee for a while until he had enough and faced his attackers. They used... many kind of things on him but what really got him was the constant deafening fires of the guns once they saw those strange items don't work. He was cruelly chased all over the town until he was able to hide away in the canal. He felt his pride once more broken to pieces... His dark aura suddenly weakened as he had to force himself to admit defeat. Not only did those weak and pathetic humans manage to ruin his hunt, bring shame to the darkness he carried...

But he also lost the bet.

Ren hissed once more at the memory and finally slipped around the tower, coming from the back of it, trying to keep low and not make a sound. The sirens of those 'soldiers' could be still heard... But he didn't care anymore. He lost all his energy and so dragged himself towards the front to go inside. He was slightly surprised to see Hyano outside already waiting for him. He almost thought he was facing another human but calmed when he recognized her. He didn't say anything but his slightly hunched form vanished inside the house, not even wanting to talk, fleeing right into the basement to recover and meditate.

Hyano watched as he trudged inside. She smiled weakly and debated on gloating a little but she felt this was the wrong place and time. So instead she got herself a water bottle before following his lead and going down to the basement. The past few nights she had gotten very little sleep, maybe resting with him for a while would do them both some good. She walked up to him, then without asking again she sat on his lap and cuddled up to him.

Honestly, Ren expected her to start asking about his hunt or perhaps sensing something, she would go and ramble about how she won their bet and how she told him all along that he will fail on his 'mission'. He expected her to go and start commanding him around in an instant and gloat all day and night for the next three days... Because he would. Thinking all this he tensed up slightly when she dropped into his lap and didn't move until a few minutes later to get more comfortable with the extra weight on him. He sighed once heavily but eventually decided to just... meditate for now and ignore whatever she wanted to say or do. He wanted rest and she won't deny him that. Not even in the next days. He felt so ashamed... His pride was destroyed and her presence wasn't helping him one bit with this... This way he was reminded of the oncoming horrific days that he will have to face. He didn't even know if he should even bear it or flee from the tower to save what little pride he still has left... Well...

Tomorrow will shed some light on his fate...

* * *

Hyano passed out on his lap for a number of hours, her body finally getting a chance to gain back the energy it had lost. Once it felt rested, though, it practically kicked her awake. She yawned before looking up at him and smiled a little, then got up from his lap before heading upstairs and going to get cleaned and changed.

She had plans for today.

Ren was jerked awake when she got off from his lap but didn't move as much. At first he wasn't even sure where he was, only able to remember when his eyes caught sight of his new items in the corner. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Or was this a side-effect of his low energy last night? He didn't know... and didn't want to know. He hissed once and got more comfortable, pleased that she left him be for now, wishing to hide her away from her sight as much as he could. But something told him his 'happiness' won't stay for too long. Soon enough he saw her shadow coming closer and down the stairs, her form stopping in front of him.

"You need to get up. We are going somewhere." Hyano told him as she picked up a few things from the basement and took it up with her to bring them along. She was heading upstairs to get cleaned and changed and pack a few things. She was taking Ren to her store. She had not been there in some time actually thanks to everything that had been happening. It was about time she got out of the house for more than just chasing that black cloaked man around anyway.

The Nazgul tilted his head to the side at the 'command' and at first he wanted to listen to his pride and say 'no' to everything she said, refuse to become her 'pet' for the next three days... but... He had as much honor to actually fulfill his end of the bargain as long as it didn't become too serious where his pride would be too much damaged or his person would be harmed. However... there was something...

"Somewhere? Well, you perhaps don't know but people outside are looking for a person just like me. And no, I will not change my clothes." He said as he stood up, following her upstairs and into the living room. He just had to say all this in order to have some sense of the humiliation go away. And he thought she wasn't there when he was chased around... so...

The orange wizard debated on telling him what she knew but decided better of it.

"Yeah I know. You were on the news again. They have pictures of you all over too. But don't worry. I can get you from point 'A' to point 'B' without you being seen." She said reassuring him with a smile, then walked out the backdoor and went to the garage she hardly ever used. For a good reason.

Now... this spiked Ren's curiosity. How will she do that? Magic? No... He had yet to see her use magic for transportation. He followed her all the way to a door which he didn't yet see. He tilted his head to the side to signal his curiosity and confusion and stopped the moment he saw that... strange thing.

This is where Hyano kept the car. She was not a fan of this thing, however a carriage was impractical and this distance was not walker's friendly. It was a smaller car, a hybrid too. Despite her never using it really she did take the time to update it whenever they came out with something that was better for the environment.

The Nazgul walked closer to it cautiously, stopping every once in a while, carefully approaching the front of it before looking inside. It... was difficult to describe. He never saw a thing like this from this close... and the interior was confusing. There was nothing he could recognize or told him how it worked. Maybe... If he pulled it apart... No. Considering the large size compared to anything else in the house... it would take him days... and he might end up like with the phone. Hissing, he reached out and poked the outer shell of it before moving behind it and looking at it from there.

Hyano watched him poke around at it for a moment like she had before. It was fun watching him explore. He was so much like a child. She smirked as he got to the back, then pulled out the keys and pressed the button. The car honked before the trunk popped open for her. She might be trying to mess with the wraith... if only a little. She also needed the trunk open anyway. It just so happened that he was behind the car.

The wraith shrieked in surprise and shock as the car suddenly gave out that strange and loud noise, jumping back once, looking at it alerted. But nothing prepared him for what happened next. Part of the back of the car flew up, showing the inside of it. The Nazgul hissed this time and backed up even more from it, hitting the wall with his back.

The wizard dropped the bag into it and then closed the trunk again and waited to see if the wraith had anything to say about it, smiling slyly.

Ren knew from that moment on that it was her who did this.

"Don't... do that again." He told her firmly, hissing. Slowly but surely he got more confidence and moved away from the wall back again towards the side of the vehicle, poking the glass window. "Strange thing... And mortals use it for transportation?" He asked, tilting his head to the side and looked inside of it again. "What is this? What pulls this thing?" He asked, knocking on the window before moving in front of it again. He could remember that mortals back then used carriages which were pulled by horses. So, where is the horse this time? Inside somewhere?

The orange istar laughed at his reaction, not able to help it. He was nearly if not completely hilarious when he was angry. When he asked what pulled it she giggled lightly. It had been a long time since she even saw something that was pulled in the manner he was thinking.

"It is called a car and nothing pulls it. It moves on its own." She replied, then pressed another button and the car made a beeping noise as it was unlocked. She walked to the backdoor and opened it for him.

"On its own?" Ren asked, not understanding how something this big... or even anything could pull itself. Especially if it isn't a living being... Or is it? His suspicion was only increased once it gave out some sound again without seemingly Hyano touching it. He backed up from the car a little, watching it from afar with some caution but once she opened the door for him, he couldn't help but walk closer.

"Get in and duck down and I will show you." The wizard instructed him. She thought the easiest way to take him from point 'A' to point 'B' was to have him ride in the back. She really didn't need him to buckle because if they got into a crash he was likely to come out unchanged, likely disoriented if anything.

The Nazgul peeked inside from where he stood and saw the seats... its interior to some degree but this still didn't tell him how it worked. Well, she did say she will show him if he got in. But... will this not eat him? If there is no magic and nothing pulls it... then it must be alive... But it doesn't have a soul. Strange. Shrugging and knowing nothing can truly eat him or kill him this way, the wraith moved to sit inside, at first successfully bumping his head into the car but like nothing happened he sat in but didn't yet duck. Why did he need to do that anyway?

Hyano shook her head. Stubborn, even about the little things. Some things would probably never change. She shut the door once he was in, then got in the driver's seat and put on her seatbelt. Once she was sure everything was ready and Ren was low enough that he wouldn't be noticed easily, she held the key up for him to see before putting it in and starting the car. She looked back in the rearview mirror to see his reaction before pressing the button to open the garage door so they could leave.

_And here come the questions._ She thought not able to help a smile.

The wraith watched as she shut the door on him and briefly wondered if she will leave him alone here. It wasn't bad though. The seat was actually comfortable, perhaps even fit for meditating. As she sat in, he titled his head to the side when she put some kind of belt on her person, curious about why she did that or for what it was good... Why doesn't he have one? Is it some... 'Modern mortal thing'? Just when the car honked back then not long ago, the starting of the car also surprised him despite seeing the key -well he didn't know what it was for-, making him jump up a little, backing further into the back of the seat. He could feel the vibration of the engine and could hear the -now- more comfortable humming. He looked around with curiosity and confusion, before glancing out of the window, noticing as the garage door lifted, revealing the... not so welcome sun. He hissed in irritation at this before sinking lower in his seat, not wanting to feel the bite of that light.

"I don't even want to ask... That would take the whole day..." He admitted, deciding he had a more... urgent question to ask. "Where are we going?" He asked, now directing his gaze to Hyano, not remembering if she told him already or not. She said they are going somewhere... But she didn't say where.

He had a bad foreboding, though...

The orange wizard was surprised she didn't get more questions about the car but assumed he would ask sooner or later anyway.

"First, we are heading to the woods where you are going to help me collect some ingredients for a few potions and such for my shop. Then we are heading into town where my shop is located. You are going to help me make the potions and get them ready for selling. After that, we will be having an event tonight that you are helping me decorate for tomorrow night." She explained to him. She wasn't even giving him much of an option in this, though.

"Simply said, I will be your slave for the next couple of days." Ren told her in an even tone, leaning against the car's door as if either bored or in defeat. Well, not like he would have done better if he won anyway. But it still had more effect if one is on the suffering's side. Of course he didn't like his next tasks. But didn't hate them either. Mostly because he could remember them many times going around together in the forest, collecting herbs and plants... mushrooms and whatever she needed for her potions. He was also dragged along sometimes and because he has a good nose, just one sniff from a plant and he could show her where some could be found, just by smell. More than likely this is what she wants to do again. What he hated actually was the decoration part. What is he? Does he look like a happy person who is up for making a room pretty? There is no way. He might somehow make sure she doesn't let him do it. Like... breaking something or messing up. He can get away with it somehow. "You brought samples from the ingredients you need?" He asked, speaking up finally after a little silence, his gaze wandering to the window and watched things zip by fast. It was strange to say the least. He was used to moving fast of course but mostly this also blew wind against him and could hear its whistle, which helped with the experience of speed. But this way there was no wind, so it was strange to move this fast.

Hyano giggled at his comment, then nodded.

"Yeah, it is in the backpack in the trunk." She replied. "There is one thing I don't have that I need to find but I am pretty sure you will remember what it smells like. Raiser weeds." She said. They were a cave weed, grew in the dark and were very sharp. They were technically the only things that grew in the caves way back then. Not a lot of them but where they grew they grew in groups and the orcs did what they could to avoid them at all costs. They were not easy to be rid of, nor were they worth going through because once they got on one's skin… their jagged edges would make them nearly impossible to remove.

"What weed?" The wraith asked, tilting his head to the side with curiosity and confusion. While he sometimes knew plants and herbs indeed by smell he memorized already but he didn't know them by name. It sometimes caused confusion between them if she didn't have a sample... he tended to just go through what he remembered and show her various plants until he would find the right one. Hissing, he slipped even more down his seat, kind of already feeling bored, having lost interest in watching the roads. He was in a way content to know they will visit the woods. Away from the busy and loud town... He could perhaps relax even more. Right now his ears are getting confused by all the noise that surrounded them, while his mind tried to understand the identify all of them.

"That plant that grew in the caves. The orcs liked to complain about it." The orange wizard replied, though she would not be surprised if he didn't find it. She had not found it in a very long time. She was curious if it had a relation to magic and the lack of it might have killed it. That was sad but it had happened to many creatures and plants.

"Cave...? That green glowing thing?" Ren asked curiously, not sure which one she meant. There were a few plants the orcs complained about. But the only one that struck out was that glowing moss she was searching for sometimes. Or perhaps she meant one of those mushrooms? He didn't know. He will have to wait and see. There were a few memories of the scent of many different darkness-loving plants in his mind. He will just... guess.

"No. Not glowing. It was sharp and got stuck in their skin." The istar corrected him.

"Sharp... That tall dark grass? Thin leaves?" Ren asked, trying to determine which one she meant. Well, it wasn't the glowing moss... He actually liked those things. The light they gave off wasn't so bad, even one could say it was calming. He liked picking those and staring at them for minutes to come. "That plant... stinks... Now I have its stench inside my nose... Thank you for reminding me..." He almost spat as he once more hissed, not comfortable with the scent of that grass. As much as the orcs complained, he wasn't that far behind. The Nazgul hissed sharply at the memory of the grass she conformed they will be searching for and shook his hooded head, if possible pushing himself further into the back of his seat.

Hyano rolled her eyes about his comment about the weed, then when she noticed he was starting to get bored the orange wizard thought for a moment, then turned on some music. Something, a little heavy metal just to see if he liked it. She didn't think he would -after she noticed his taste for piano- but she could be wrong.

The wraith's train of thoughts was interrupted when suddenly something loud and weird sounded in the car. He jumped in surprise, looking up and around for the source. It seemed to come from everywhere. He hissed at his shock and drew back in his seat as if trying to get away from it.

"What is this?" He asked still hissing, his gaze still searching for the source. "It sounds like... sick and hoarse wraiths would be attempting a shriek... A shriek they obviously fail at terribly..."

Hyano burst out laughing when he complained about the music.

"Humans think it is music. Some think they have lost their minds." She replied, then changed the channel to a more modern station where they were singing pop. Hyano couldn't help a slight smile. It was a funny song and the beat was catchy so she left it.

"They didn't just lose their mind but their voice as well and if they don't stop, they will lose their lives as well." Ren was rather glad that she decided to change the 'music', as she called it. He could remember music from five thousand years ago. That was truly something one could enjoy. But this? He couldn't even recognize it. Like some... random noise or sick wraiths shrieking... The new music? Well... It wasn't at least so bad but that didn't mean he liked it. He would like to have the old ways back on that one as well. He hissed at the new one the same way, then laid back against his seat, sliding down a little, deciding that it was bearable, unlike the one before...

The orange wizard nodded.

"Got it." She replied and noted he still didn't seem to like the music. She thought for a moment, then changed the channel to classical. She remembered how much he liked her playing the piano so maybe he would favor this as well. The music became melodic like it did when she played. "Better?" She asked him. They were starting to get out of the city now and more into the countryside. Not quite out of sight of any humans just yet but it meant they would be in the woods soon.

Ren didn't even notice at first when she changed the music again only then did he concentrate on it once he settled down and got rid of the memory of that plant's stench about which they talked about not long ago. He tilted his head to the side as he listened as if the position itself gave him more concentration and better hearing.

"Yes." He answered to her question, finding this much more appropriate without the annoying constant drumming echoing in his head. It almost was like the music she played not long ago. He settled down almost instantly, feeling a little more relaxed.

Hyano smiled as the wraith relaxed. _Mental note: he likes classical music._ She thought to herself as she drove.

* * *

Another half hour of traveling and they finally parked at the edge of the forest. She couldn't drive in with her car despite the woods not being nearly as thick as they used to be. It just wasn't worth the trouble. She looked back at him but assumed he had probably started meditating at some point and considering the night he had, she decided to let him for a little while. Not like they had to rush anyway. She stepped out of the car and retrieved her bag from the trunk, then waited for the wraith to get moving on his own. She figured at some point his curious nature would get the better of him and he would get out just to see what she was up to.

Said Nazgul didn't notice when they stopped, neither did he hear as she climbed out of the car. Instead he was sitting comfortably... well kind of comfortably in his seat, having leaned back and down it to not be seen and making sure the sun does not reach him. His hood was focused at the seat that was in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest. Only then did he raise his head when he heard some noise from behind him. Ren looked around at first, not seeing they stopped and sat up slowly, curiously letting his invisible gaze wander the place they arrived at. A forest as it seemed... Well, not as thick as he liked it but at least it was away from all that noise... Speaking of noise... The wraith turned around halfway and noticed Hyano at the back of the car. She must have caused that one. Hissing, he slid towards the door of the car but... There was a tiny little problem, which he couldn't exactly solve on his own...

How in the Nine Nazgul does he open this door?

Hyano waited for a moment. She knew he noticed her... Right? She raised a brow trying to find out what in Valar was keeping him... until finally it hit her. He didn't know how to open the door. She couldn't help but burst out laughing. It was such a simple task but it had the Great Ren stumped. That was too much. She walked up to the door and opened it for him while still giggling. If he didn't find out how to open the door soon… he would end up just busting the window and she would rather not pay for the repair.

The Nazgul heard that. He heard the laughing and she better doesn't forget that he is aware of that. He can pay her back very easily. He just needed the opportunity for that. He was indeed short from knocking the window down and attempting to climb out of it but she seemed to realize this and finally opened the door for him. As soon as he climbed out, he stopped in front of her and stared at her silently, hard and firmly, daring her to laugh more at his inexperience with the modern world.

The orange wizard grinned up at him as she shut the door.

"You know, if I had the same kind of trouble you would be laughing your hood off." She pointed out to him, not bothered that he was annoyed with her, then pulled out the samples and held them out to him. "Here. These are what I need you to find. I'm not sure if you can find all of them but I will take what you can get." She told him honestly. It had been a long time since she had collected herbs so while she had samples, those herbs could be long gone by now.

"I cannot laugh." Ren corrected her, hissing at her silently before reaching out and taking the samples from her, still staring at her, daring her to laugh more. "One more sound and I will put some poisonous mushroom bits within these herbs." He threatened -obviously meaning it- but averted his gaze and went to the side nonetheless. He still knew he lost the bet, so indeed he will have to be the nose, the one who has the find these plants. Not that he liked to be used in this manner, it was humiliating but he had as much honor to keep to his end of the bargain. Good thing that all the samples had their own little sacs, so sniffing at a single one wasn't that hard. It didn't take long for him to catch wind of the first sample and without saying a word he was off, following his sense of smell to locate the first batch of this one plant. The worst thing was that they didn't smell as good either. Some stink... others outright reek -for his sensitive nose at least-... But he will have to take it.

For now.

Hyano sat on top of her car waiting. She had done quite a bit of sunbathing while waiting for Ren to get his cloaked butt back from getting what she needed. She really hoped he could find them. He made a great tracking dog but how does one find something that doesn't exist anymore? She sighed. The raiser weed would likely be one he either couldn't find or would skip altogether since he hated the smell so much. She couldn't blame him. She hated the smell herself, though, her sense of smell was nowhere near as good as his.

* * *

The Nazgul hissed loudly as he got stuck in a small very narrow cavern, stuck right with this... reeking grass in his hand in a tight place...

Just amazing...

While he hated this thing he knew he had to get it. Not because Hyano wanted it but because he wanted to prove her he can do it and because of the bet. And so he doesn't need to hear her possible whining about not having this stinking plant. He wiggled around a little, trying to pull himself out but only ended up going deeper.

"Damn it!" He shrieked and boosted by fury and the disgust by this grass he stepped against the narrow hole with both feet, trying once more. He succeeded to get out two inches but that's it. He hissed heavily, instantly regretting it as the stench of the plant was unbearable by now. He let out a very loud shriek and wiggled more, pressing against the narrow hole, then eventually came free. He basically flew out of the hole backwards, landing on the ground with a heavy thud, instantly taking a deep breath of relief from the fresh air, savoring the lighter and less intense smells. Sitting up he quickly put the grass into one of the sacs she put away for him and counted how many herbs and plants he could find. Not much... About half of what was handed to him as sample seemed to have no presence in this forest. His nose didn't pick up their scent no matter at which part he tried. Eventually, Ren decided to head back, enjoying his time in the quiet forest, even the birds seemed to go quiet or perhaps this place lacked them. Good. More peace for him. He will need to go back to that unbearable city soon anyway…

It wasn't long until his sight caught the car she brought him here with and walked up to it, throwing the sacks with samples and collected ingredients at her without a word.

He was done. Now he wanted to go home...

Hyano sat up just in time to be smacked in the face by the samples. She mumbled something under her breath and looked at what he had brought back. Not nearly as much as she had hoped but it was better than nothing. She jumped off of the car and opened the door for him, allowing him to get in.

"Alright. Now we need to head to my shop. We are going to be spending most if not the rest of the day there." She said, unknowingly destroying the wraith's hopes of going home right away. She had told him already what her plans were. His plans were little concern at this point seeing his current position.

Ren wiped at his cloak furiously, trying to clean it of the little dirt that came with his little adventure in that narrow small cavern because the mud actually still carried the stench of that dark grass. He hissed in disgust but stopped what he was doing and slowly turned his gaze to her when she spoke of their next plans. What the...? Alright... maybe she told him what they planned but he was so engulfed in searching that he came back with the belief that he will get to go back to the Tower. Alright... So not. He let out a heavy hiss and simply ceased cleaning his cloak, slumping his shoulders he made his way to the car and sat at his place with his arms crossed not at all liking the fact that he truly lets her command him around and tell him what to do. In all his life he only had one person order him around... And that was his Dark Lord. He hoped they will get to make another bet which he will win. He will take over the world with her in just a few days...

Hyano shook her head and tossed the bag with the found herbs and plants in the trunk so he wouldn't have to smell it, then pulled out a towel before getting in the car herself and tossing it to him.

"Here, this should help you clean yourself off." She said as she drove again. She was heading back towards town only it was on the other side of it. Hopefully that would help to keep the attention off of them. "I'm surprised. The one thing I thought you wouldn't find you did." She said honestly.

The wraith tilted his head to the side as the towel landed on his lap and touched it with a hand, raising it a little to look at it more. He couldn't... exactly remember what it is for... The only time he saw the wizard use it was when she fell unconscious and she wanted to cover herself because she was 'naked' in front of him. He didn't need to cover himself... Her explanation however helped him somewhat but it only caused also more confusion. So... towels are for cleaning... Then why does she bath before 'cleaning' herself? He will never know... The wraith then did his best to find out how to wipe away the mud with it.

"I myself was surprised I actually touched that plant. It was not so easy to get to..." He trailed off, not wanting to discuss his... little adventure at getting stuck inside that hole for a good ten minutes... then taking a nice flight when he managed to wiggle free. He would never live that damage to his pride down...

"So that's why you came back covered in mud." Hyano said with a giggle, only able to imagine the kind of insanity he put himself through to get that plant. "You are very stubborn, though. If you knew what TNT was… I'm sure you would have resorted to blowing whole mountains up just to get to it." She added. The thought of Ren with any kind of explosives was rather scary actually. He was a natural disaster with just his sword but with actual disaster weapons he would be walking chaos.

"TNT?" Ren asked, trying to mimic the word because it didn't exist in Black Speech. He tilted his head to the side and watched her while he worked to wipe more of the mud away from his cloak. "Blow up? Is this something that wizards used to blow up Helms Deep's wall?" He asked, only remembering that invention as able to blow anything up. Nothing else came close.

"No. It was only invented in the past few hundred years. It is a chemical that when ignited causes a pretty big explosion." The wizard explained to him with a giggle. "It is not easy to get a hold of legally and illegal creation of it is more of a hassle than it is worth." She added, remembering her making it more than once and how much time and energy she put into just not getting caught for it.

"Interesting..." The Ringwraith commented on this... TNT and about all she said. He will have to make sure to think about it more and maybe try to get a hold of it, no matter what she said. Maybe she is just trying to prevent him from trying to get it and using it for his own needs. It surely must be dangerous but effective, considering she said it could blow up mountains. Oh the damage he could do with that...

"Remind me that I have to cook sweets tonight. Somehow I might forget and I won't have the time tomorrow." The istar said, making more of a mental note for herself, certain that Ren would forget anyway or would not remind her because he hated the smell of it…

When she mentioned sweets the Nazgul hissed sharply at the thought of it, shaking his head.

"You don't have to cook that. It stinks and is sticky... The worst combination ever..." He complained, shuddering at his luck of surely somehow getting it on his cloak and having to live with the stench for a few days until it starts coming off.

Hyano rolled her eyes.

"I do need to cook that. It is for the children tomorrow. Trust me. You will like tomorrow night... At least I am pretty sure you will." She said, waving him off.

Ren snapped his hooded head up at the mentioning of children.

"You are NOT inviting dwarves over to my territory!" He demanded, absolutely refusing to have them around him or around his own place, still considering children as dwarves because of their small size. "I don't care about tomorrow... I certainly won't like it if you say so." He crossed his arms and huffed. He was today almost hysterical and used his childish manner more often. Probably because of he feels humiliated as it was and was offended by the tiny tasks he had to do.

The young-looking woman rolled her eyes at his outburst. It was like having a child in her backseat...

The wraith kept his position the whole time they were on their way to who knows where... he honestly didn't care. he didn't feel like doing anything today, he just wanted to return to the safety of his territory where he can go down to his corner and meditate or stay there the whole day, away from her for two more days if he could. Ren huffed again and looked out of the window, at least getting some distraction by all the noise outside and the many strange buildings he saw. There were very colorful ones, tall ones, small ones, narrow and wide ones... He never saw such variety of houses before...

Hyano finally parked in front of a building.

The place was a little on the classic side, large windows displayed what all was on sale, giving an idea about its true wares. The sign above it read 'Haunted Hookah.' It was a mix of a magic shop and hookah lounge. She allowed some locals to run the lounge part of the shop while she handles the actual shop. She found she earned more money this way. The shop part was simple enough. A couple aisles of various items that are said to bring luck but carried little to no magic and the walls were lined with trinkets and spell bottles, then of course there was the cash counter with a display case of various items as well.

The wizard stepped out of the car and opened the door for him. No one else was here yet. It was too early to open up the lounge and no one really shops for haunted goods at this time of day either.

The Nazgul slowly emerged from the car and tilted his head to the side at the strange building, stepping away from the vehicle and closer to the shop.

"Strange..." It was all he said as he eyed it, unsure about the place. It looked... unusual. He never saw anything like this before and as such he was cautious around it. Just like on the street at the moment. He kept glancing around, knowing that if people managed to see him those annoying soldiers will go at him again and here they go again... running around the town, hoping to lose them.

For this exact reason Hyano rushed him inside the shop. She got her bags of plants and herbs and dragged him in, locking the door behind them.

"Don't... touch... anything." She warned him as she walked towards the back.

Ren hissed as she rushed him, almost dragging him inside the building without letting him be as careful as he always was but stopped every opposition when they set foot inside. It was... strange... and interesting. Half of the items he never saw in his whole cursed life, while very little was actually familiar. He stood there in the middle of the room, his hooded head moving from one direction to the other, deep in his mind contemplating where to start his... exploration of this 'shop' as she called it. His curious gaze only landed on her form when she spoke, warning him strictly not to touch anything. The wraith stared at her, unmoving, not making a noise or a muscle...

... Until she vanished.

Right after he lost sight of her, the Nazgul started walking towards the closest item he could find and looked at it, tilting his head to the side at the unusual display before reaching out and actually taking it, completely dismissing her warning. He can have a little exploration today, can he not? Losing interest after a while, the Ringwraith simply put it back the way he saw fit and moved to the next item wanting to 'inspect' the whole display until she came back.

Hyano came back a little while later, the pouches of herbs replaced with bottles in her arms. She noticed him inspecting items yet again but this time actually taking the time to put them back. Well, at least he was doing that much. She couldn't exactly sell anything he broke so she did not correct him on it, instead she got working. She started turning some of the substances into powders, needing them in that form to create the proper potions. When he got closer to the more glass-like items she looked up from her work, then back down.

"Careful with your gauntlets. Those items break easily." She told him calmly, concentrating on what she was doing but doing all she could to keep an eye on him too. She couldn't deny him some exploration and to answer his curiosity.

Ren was actually entertained, at least absorbing himself in all this new adventure by looking through the items he found there. Some looked strange; others had the form of an existing item just not having the same texture. The wraith looked up as he was about to touch the first glass-like item when she spoke, turning his gaze towards her only for a second before reaching out and picking up an unusual shaped glass up, feeling how fragile it was in his grip. However at the same time he also found interest in what she was doing, so walked up to her with the item in his hand, tilting his head to the side, watching her work from his position.

He had some kind of timing. In a little bottle Hyano had already placed one powder which was green. She was now adding another powder that was more of a gray color. When they made contact there was a minor 'poof' sound before the two powders became a purple liquid. The wizard smiled before capping the bottle.

"And that is how you make a fake love potion." She said with a giggle before placing the bottle to the side. She didn't mind showing this to Ren. Not like he could use any of it for anything. It was just simple potion making, which hardly counted as magic really. Any normal man could do it, however finding the required items was always a royal pain.

Ren watched on with interest as she made the potion, tilting his head to the one then the other side, stepping even closer as he inspected the powders that were laid out, their colors but stepped back and leaned back slightly when the bottle she was holding gave out some noise and some colored smoke rose from it. He couldn't help but go closer and reached out with a hand to poke the -now set aside- bottle with a finger. He looked up and stared at her when she explained that she was actually making a fake potion.

"Fake? Why fake? You cannot make real potions anymore?" He asked, looking back at the one in front of him. Most would be demanding why she is misleading her customers but honestly, Ren simply didn't care about that aspect. He even thought that mortals don't deserve the real potion anyway.

"I can't make real potions without the real ingredients and you already showed today that most of the real herbs are gone. Besides, if I was to give Man real potions, who knows what kind of hell they would cause for themselves. They just aren't very good at keeping out of trouble. No, I am just a simple shop that sells mostly fake goods. I will admit I have a few real items in here but those are priced high enough that most morons can't get them." The orange istar explained herself, confirming his theory that she could not make potions. She could still make a few but they were all very simple and one didn't really need a potion for what they could do.

"You could make poisons..." The Nazgul offered putting the item he held before onto the counter, leaning on it a little with an almost bored stance. "They surely don't need much. They can kill each other with it..." He hissed, shaking his head but he did just imagine the mortals going and killing each other for whatever reason come into this shop and demand poison all minute a day. He would gladly serve those people and watch as they die... "Taking over the town would be much easier with fewer humans. They are too many in this small town." Ren then proceeded pushing himself away from the counter and pulled the glass item with him caressing its smooth surface before carelessly dumping it back into its place, looking for a new item to inspect.

"Poisons aren't even counted as potions. They can be made with and without magic involved." Hyano replied, not overly interested in that idea. "I do make a few prank potions but those are harmless for the most part." She added before looking towards Ren. "Hey, go to the back and get the big black box that has a pumpkin painted on it." She instructed him. He might as well make himself useful while he is messing with all her things and while he is supposed to do as she said. She knew at some point he would stop being careful and she was not about to just let him break her wares.

At first, the Nazgul just stared at her, almost dumbfounded that she dared asking him to do something, seeing she was after all his servant and not the other way around. However, he had to remember that the next few days will be his living nightmares as he is supposed to do as she asked of him. Of course... certain limits will be kept. And he made sure to keep to this. Hissing and with shoulders slumping, the wraith turned around and started walking where she pointed without a word, his hood turning to locate the black box she was talking about. At first, he thought of the black box as the one they had in his territory but no matter how he looked he couldn't find one. It took him a little while -seeing he wasn't interested in it the slightest- but eventually caught glimpse of something black in the corner, with the orange plant-like thing painted on it. He was surprised he could remember the name of it. The last time he saw one and touched one was right before they left to Moria... He chased one down the hill... After looking at it from afar for a few seconds, the Nazgul decided to move and grasped the box hauling it towards the wizard... Well... of course the longer he did this the more curious he was about the content.

By the time he got back Hyano had made about ten bottles of fake potions. She looked up and smiled when she saw that he had brought the right box. She walked over to him and took the box from him, then put it on the ground and opened it up, showing all the decorating materials needed to make this place look like a haunted house. Fake spider webs, spiders, a cat and many other ghostly knickknacks.

"This is what you will need for decorating this place. Make it look like a haunted dungeon if you can." She said with a grin. Halloween is right at the door now. It was her who did all the decorating through the years from the start since the humans celebrated it. But she was not at all afraid to let Ren take over this task. He was a wraith, someone who could make a house look like the most horrible place there is. She knew she will not be disappointed by his taste. Maybe she should shrink him tomorrow. She smirked. Oh the hell he would raise over that one but he would probably have fun. The idea of being able to get candy for running from house to house and saying a few words would probably appeal to him. While he may not like the smell of candy, he may like the small toys they sometimes give out. She was also sure that the trick part of 'trick or treating' would very much catch his interest.

As soon as she opened the box, the wraith was basically on it. He couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. He reached inside the box and pulled out one of the decorations and inspected them, tilting his head to the side and sniffed them only to pull back with a hiss. It smelled... old... and odd... and... like a shoe being kept in the closet for three years without fresh air... He reached in again and hummed as he noticed the fake cat so pulled it out as well, looking at it, completely disregarding the decoration he had in his hand before. He saw an animal like that when he was hunting! It was so quick. One even made some... noise and followed him for a while. It looked... strange and unusual. Slowly, Ren poked it with a finger and watched it curiously. As soon as she said something about him decorating, the wraith looked at her sharply, staring at her for a good few minutes before slowly pointing at himself.

"Me? You want me to decorate?" He asked almost sounding shocked at her request if one didn't know that he could feel no such thing. He never decorated anything in his long life. The closest he got was just... scattering things across the floor or hauling the pieces of a dead body around the room just so it won't look so barren... but that's it.

Hyano giggled.

"I guess it is time I explained. Tomorrow night is a human celebration called Halloween. It was originally a celebration of the dead but now it is basically a day where everyone gets sweets and tries to scare each other. Anyway, I thought since you like scaring people… who better to ask to decorate this place for tomorrow night than you?" She said, thinking if this did nothing else, it would at least give him a pride boost. Valar knows he needed it at this point. After all, the poor creature had been through he deserved at least that much.

The wraith didn't say a word but glanced at the decorations picking at the box again, raising one more piece of item from it, inspecting it with curiosity and looked inside the box to see more items. To be honest, he did feel more confident by her saying what she did but... he still didn't know what half of these items are for. He didn't know where he was supposed to put some and what they do. Suddenly, he dropped the item he had in his hand, while still holding the fake cat in his other and reached inside, picking up a fake spider web piece, looking at it long and hard before turning his gaze to Hyano.

"How can mortals preserve spider webs like this?" He asked, unsure, showing it to her.

"Actually, that is fake. Someone took materials and created something that looks like a spider web. Real spider webs break too easily." The wizard replied, then pulled out a small candleholder that looked like a Jack-o-lantern, one of many that she usually places in the windows. "People tend to get scared by spiders so on Halloween people place these around their homes to give people the creeps. It can be a lot of fun."

"Spiders?" Ren asked, highly interested in the subject as he pulled more fake spider webs from the box. "Mortals are afraid of... spiders?" He hissed, shaking his hooded head in amusement. If he knew that he would have grabbed a good amount of spiders before he went on his 'mission'. He would have gotten away much faster from the humans. Humming, the wraith suddenly walked to the side and grasped the box pushing it from one side, successfully tipping it over, and making it land on its side spilling almost all the content. It was much easier to see what was in it -at least in his mind- than going through it by digging. He walked over to the pile and started picking through it. But the fake cat was still in his grasp, making his 'exploration' a little slower.

Hyano face palmed, knowing something likely broke thanks to his 'faster' search method. Oh well. She could get more decorations if needed. The box had many things from her years of collecting items. Some were child friendly, others were probably better off in a haunted house. One item dropped out of the box and started howling as if it was in pain. It was a fake shrunken head that one could hang by its hair. It had a movement sensor which was why Hyano didn't bother to turn it off after she boxed it. Couldn't make noise if it didn't see anything move, right?

The noise made the Nazgul stop in his tracks and jump in surprise, automatically looking around the room for the source, then among the items he forced out of the box. By the time he focused on the pile the noise stopped, which left the wraith curious yet confused, stepping towards the pile again and looking around, unsure where the noise came from. Soon enough, his invisible gaze fell on Hyano and tilted his head to the side, expecting some kind of... help from her determining what it was.

Hyano laughed lightly, then decided to show him. She stepped up, then moved her hand over the pile. The sensor on the object caught her movement and went off yet again, letting out a scream of agony. She then reached in and grabbed the item by the hair and held it up for Ren to see. It started screeching again, its mouth hanging open and eyes glowing red. Cheap effects. She loved them. The wizard was curious what Ren would think of it. Hopefully it wouldn't take much for him to realize it was fake.

The wraith stopped in his tracks as she showed him what made the noise, now seeing he was searching at the right place. When she grasped the head, he thought it was actually real and watched as the 'cursed body part' started to shout... Although... There seems to be something wrong with it... The Nazgul cautiously reached out to poke the head, naturally not at all feeling afraid of it, hearing as it screamed. Well, in his 'work' he was used to heads still making noise after he cut them... He poked it again and again, noticing that something was off with this. Mostly he was suspicious because it lacked the aura of magic... And without magic... a head cannot do that. He kept poking it again and again, listening to the noise it made, more and more it felt too... monotone... Like... the head knew exactly what tone it used before...

The orange istar smiled as he seemed be realizing the head wasn't right.

"It is fake. A mechanical replica of a real head. Again, meant to scare humans, mostly children." She told him, then held it out to him assuming he would either lose interest in it or he might actually try to find some kind of use for it. "If there is anything else you want for this, just ask. I would hope you know what you are doing." She said while putting her hands in her pockets.

Ren took the head and looked at it from up close. Of course... No wonder it lacked the magic... or the traces of aura.

"Mortals seem to like 'fake'. They are cowards for not daring to face the real thing." He hissed, thinking back at his hunts. Just his appearance caused some to faint... They seemed to have grown comfortable with the wars gone, unable to survive without the safety of their fake world. What a pity. "I can get the real thing..." He made the small suggestion before shuffling over the pile and just stared at it all. Decorations... Decorations he didn't recognize everywhere... Stopping, he raised his one hand with the head and the other with the cat as if wanting to decide which one to hold, then simply dropped the head and put the black cat onto her counter, wanting it safe, then picked at the decorations. He had no skills or interest for anything pretty... But making something match his taste of terror? That was something he liked and knew how to do... He started his new adventure soon after.

"Your only restriction is you can't kill or hurt anyone. Besides that… go nuts." Hyano said, waving him off. She knew how he could get the 'real thing' and he could very much forget it. He was trying to not get any more attention at this point. That would not work out very well if he went killing again now, would it? "I'm going to the store real quick to pick up pumpkins. Stay here and don't break anything." She told him, waving as she made sure she had some money, then walked out. Lucky for her, the store was right down the road so there was no need to take the car. The large pumpkins of olden days were replaced by slightly smaller ones so she should be able to get two back on her own.

Then she shall see Ren's handiwork.

* * *

**Hmm… We wonder how Ren will fare with this.**

**You shall find out soon enough!**

**Although, we do wonder why the reviews suddenly quit coming. Is there something wrong with the story?**

_CA Productions_


	8. Not in the Face!

**Hyano: Run! Run! Run! *Runs past Avp and Cubby who are sitting on the couch eating Christmas Cookies***

**Avp: *Blinks* The void?**

**Cubby: 3… 2… 1.**

**Ren: *Screatches and kicks in door. Spits out a carrot and some coal then throws top hat. Still has a scarf wrapped around his 'neck'.* Get back here you little dwarf! *Runs after Hyano with a broom in hand.***

**Avp: *Looks at Cubby.* Explain.**

**Cubby: I told her that dressing Ren up like a snowman would bring him back to life like it did Frosty.**

**Avp: And she believed you?!**

**Cubby: Yep. *Holds up picture of Ren sleeping outside dressed up like a snowman.***

**Avp: Oh boy… Now… let us see what Ren did to Hyano's shop!**

_CA Productions_

* * *

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

* * *

Chapter 8 - Not in the Face!

_-an hour or so later-_

By the time Hyano should come back, Ren was finished with the 'decoration'.

Or so he thought.

He was still busy making the finishing touches, moving away from one spot, deciding it wasn't good enough and rearranged it like five more times before he deemed it fitting for his taste. After all, their objective was to make this room like how his wraith self would like it. Which meant... bloody effects... basically darkness, only with little light just at the places he thought they will still let her handle the counter and the potions. Of course he had no idea what to do with some of the decorations because he didn't know what they were for but he still found some use for them to increase the room's scary effect.

The Nazgul rubbed his metallic gauntlets together when he glanced at the -now officially- finished room and backed to the counter, reaching out there to grasp the fake cat, caressing its head in almost mischief.

He actually just looked like a villain, about to unleash his secret weapon on a city.

He did not know how to handle the light switches in the shop, so simply placed a few glass-like and thick items around the sources, where the light itself became trapped and spread out more faintly, giving the room an eerie glow. This served for him to see better despite the lights, but it had a very fantastic side effect for everyone who entered.

The fake spider webs were torn here and there, Ren having decided that they look nowhere like real webs, so ripped some of them apart and hung them in long pieces from either the doorway, the windows and around some of the items in the display. They looked more random and indeed far more real.

Some of the fake skeletons were also shredded, placing a few 'bone pieces' all over the place he deemed fitting, mainly about the spider webs he already modified. The skulls were the most important in the wraith's mind. It serves basically as a trophy of a kill among the dark creatures. The very head of their enemy who they managed to slay. Thus, they all needed a suitable spot. One on the counter, one around the spider webs in the display, and another around the closest light source. He also managed to place in two glowing items into one, giving the eye sockets 'life'.

There was still some fake blood which he decided cannot be scattered randomly like spider webs. Again, his greatest complaint was that they looked so… compact, like they were gathered in a bowl. Thus, the wraith once again ripped these too and put them around and on top of skeleton parts, making them look like a fresh kill.

Then… his invisible gaze fell on the severed head…

* * *

Hyano came back with two pumpkins and pushed the door open with her back, exhausted and out of breath. There were just too many people in the store for her liking and she ended up having to carry the pumpkins around a lot longer than she would have preferred.

"Sorry it took me so long. You wouldn't believe how... hard it is..." She stopped mid-sentence as she saw her shop.

The Nazgul's gaze quickly went to the door when he heard it open, at first thinking he might have gotten an unwanted visitor but the sight of Hyano made him relax and go back to stroke the fake cat, finding the item amusing and comfortable to touch. No, he won't use this. He will take this one home. He raised his head slightly in pride as he saw her going speechless at first, taking it as 'didn't expect this one this is amazing' compliment and looked back at his handiwork. He was indeed proud of it. This is how he would imagine her shop being every day. He would surely visit more willingly.

The orange wizard had honestly expected him to have some trouble with decorating the shop but it seemed he had the knack for it. To say the least… he had somehow taken the meager items she gave him and really made a scary store with it. Though, the added touch of the wraith petting a cat might have helped his cause. "Whoa... someone has been busy." She said with a smile, her green eyes still wandering the horror that her shop became. She truly did not expect this…

Ren's gaze soon travelled from it to her hands and at the two pumpkins she carried. He still couldn't say their name... since they have no name in Black Speech, he would have to say it in human tongue... And not even his mind can pronounce it right, let alone say it out loud.

"What do you want with that?" He asked, pointing at them with a metal-covered finger, avoiding having to say their name, tilting his hooded head to the side. He knew she also wanted some five thousand years ago... But he never got to see for what...

"This?" Hyano asked as she raised one of the pumpkins a bit to gesture towards it this way. "Oh these are used for a few things, actually." She said as she placed them on the counter. "They are used for food and decoration. I'll show you when we get home. Since you did so well on the decorating I guess there is no real reason to stay any longer. Would you like to go home?" She asked, remembering how eager he had been to go home earlier and assumed the same thing could be said for now even if he had fun doing this.

At her offering Ren tapped the fake cat with a finger in deep thought, staring at her, then looking over at the job he did. Now the shop looked more welcoming than his territory. It lasted a few minutes but eventually the wraith shrugged, deciding he will give her the right to tell what they should do. For one, he does what she says anyway for the next days, and at the moment both places are as comfortable for him. Both are dark, full with items he liked and he was secure. No one knew where he was anyway. However right after this he looked at her, tilting his head a little and held out to her the fake cat.

"What is this?" He asked, finally wanting to know what he was so contently holding for the past hours, of course he won't give it to her just wanted to make sure she knows what he is talking about.

Hyano smiled, then raised a brow as he asked about the object he had in hand.

"Oh that? That is a cat. A fake one at that. Humans consider them pets. They tend to make good company for the most part, however black cats are said to be unlucky and so they are used for Halloween decorations." She explained, then picked up one of the pumpkins. "Here, grab the other one for me. These things are very heavy." She grumbled as she looked outside to make sure no one was around before stepping out and heading to the car.

"A cat?" The Nazgul repeated looking at the fake animal, repeating it again a third time. It was strange how short yet easy the name was. And they are used for decorations? The animals themselves? Or just the fake copies? And they are pets? Blacks bring misfortune to mortals? Then they can only mean good to people like him who work against mankind. Maybe he can raise an army of black cats... He shook his head, trying to get rid of these absurd thoughts and focused on her again, tilting his head a little and lowering his gaze to the other pup... pump... po... thing...

Not even his mind could pronounce that...

Now he was at a loss what to do... The wraith's invisible gaze fell to the cat in his hands, then at the plant... repeating this a few times. If he takes the plant out now and leaves the cat inside, they will leave his new toy here... If he brings out the cat and leaves the plant inside then he breaks his promise... Shrugging, the wraith proceeded to put the fake cat inside his cloak before bending down and grasping the orange plant, once more noticing the similarity in color between the plant and Hyano's past clothes. He went outside as she told him, taking the thing to her car; the claws on his gauntlets did make a slight damage on its outer shell, though.

Hyano was curious what was taking him so long as she waited by the back end of the car, the trunk open with the pumpkin she had already taken already in there. She smiled as she saw him with pumpkin in hand as well as the cat stuck in his cloak, its head was clearly sticking out from his folds. She giggled lightly. He could have made two trips if he wanted the cat so badly but she decided not to point this out. She did however step back to let him put the orange plant in, then shut the trunk. She stepped up to the back door then smirked.

"Think you can open it on your own this time?" She half challenged and half teased him.

While he did not feel the weight nor had any aches from the pumpkin, he still felt relieved that he could put down the plant. Mostly because it was uncomfortable to carry it around. He couldn't see where he was going... He stepped back from the car and took the cat from his cloak, petting it. Once the challenge was issued, the wraith stopped what he was doing and looked at her, staring at her mocking form and smile, then let his gaze focus on the door of the car. He started trying to remember what he would need to do to open that thing. It surely can't be that hard. Now he could see the handle rather well, unlike the inside of it where there were far more levers and buttons sticking out. However... Was this really so easy or is he just over-complicating it all? He tilted his head to the side and simply didn't move but resumed stroking the fake animal, looking back at her. This alone spoke of his answer. Maybe another time.

The wizard giggled lightly, then proved to him just how easy it really was by pulling the handle to let him in. She left the door open for him, assuming he could at least figure out how to close it as she walked to the driver's side door and hopped in herself. She started the car and flipped through the music for a moment before finding the classical station again, thinking there was no need to pick something else since she already knew what he liked.

The Nazgul this time paid attention to what she did. How she pulled the handle, where she pulled it, and what strength did she put into it. Nodding to himself he went up to the vehicle and sat in, getting comfortable. His gaze moved to the door and already having seen and heard how easy it is to shut it, he reached out and grasped the door of the car, shutting it on his own. Maybe he put in more force than should have but he didn't care about that, instead relaxed when his attention was averted to the music that played. He leaned back in his seat with the fake cat in his hands and listened to it, staying silent; relieved that today's nightmare will soon end.

Two more days to go...

Hyano smiled and drove them home. She decided to leave him alone for the rest of the evening. Mostly because she was baking and she knew he wouldn't want to be anywhere near the kitchen for the rest of the night if not longer. She spent a long time making all sorts of treats until she had the counters filled to the brim with them. When she finally finished it was two in the morning. She groaned.

"Overdid it again." The wizard said with a giggle before going to wash up and head downstairs to check on her friend. She was sure she smelled like a rice cake despite having tried to wash off as best she could.

* * *

The wraith was relieved that he could rest peacefully in his little corner, even moving to the side to look at his items, sort through them, admire a few oddities before shifting back to his dark corner, resting for now. However it wasn't at all easy with... those foul stenches coming into the basement. She was cooking something... Something horrible. He hissed sometimes at it but did not go back up the stairs since he guessed it must smell worse there. So, he struggled to survive there and in a feeble attempt to get away from it all he went and turned to face the corner, letting his hooded head rest against the wall as he sat. It didn't help of course but made him think he was safer from it all. After a while of silence he heard steps coming closer, recognizing the pattern and length of it as Hyano's but did not move when she checked on him. Instead he shifted closer to the corner as best as he could, smelling that thing on her as well. Great... Just great.

"Go and bathe..." He suggested, hissing.

Hyano laughed lightly.

"Fine but I doubt it will help." She said honestly, then went upstairs again. She thought it would relax her muscles a bit anyway. She was feeling so stiff right now. She had a feeling as to why but she didn't want to say it. She was gone for a little while before finally coming back in a pair of shorts and a tang top, rubbing her hair with a towel to try and get rid of the water. She made sure to shut the basement door this time, hoping that might help her cause a little as she walked up to him. "Better?"

"No." Was Ren's curt reply but didn't say anything else. His position didn't change at all, still sitting facing the corner; of course the fake cat was still clutched in his hand, finding it as his own entertainment for now. Today's payment as it seems. Briefly, he wondered what will be his task for tomorrow. What will he be forced to do again? What horrors will he suffer through the day? There is only one way to find out... "And what is the plan for tomorrow?" He asked silently, wanting to grant this little silence to his mind and rest, though her presence did make him far more active than before. Seems like the connection is real after all.

Hyano noticed it as well. She was no longer as stiff anymore. She cracked her neck, putting the towel over her shoulders. When he asked about his tasks tomorrow she smiled.

"The morning will be pretty boring but for the most part we will be at the shop. You will be helping me sell items until sundown, then we will be giving away sweet treats all night to children as they pass by." She explained to him before taking a seat beside him with her back to the wall before resting her head on his shoulder with a sigh.

The Nazgul turned his gaze towards her as she listed his tasks for tomorrow. He didn't know what to think. That she just forgot that people are looking for him or she simply has the memory span of a goldfish.

"People... will recognize my form. We will have those... mortals on our necks if I show myself in front of people." He said slowly, pausing every now and then as if she was 'slow' to understand normal speech. "And I will NOT change my cloak." He added quickly, making sure she remembers their deal before he went hunting. "And I am more than sure those dwarves wouldn't be as thrilled to see me."

The wizard laughed lightly and waved him off.

"Trust me when I say you will be perfectly fine." She assured him. Oh, how much fun she would have watching the shock in his hood when he saw all the people and 'dwarves' dressed up. Some would even be dressed up like wraiths or rather like the wraith-like creatures from old ghost stories and horror movies of today. She giggled. She still hadn't shown him those yet. He was better off not seeing yet. If he did, he was sure to get angry over how wrong they got it. "You will not stand out in the slightest."

Lacking the ability to frown, the Nazgul tilted his head sharply to the side, unsure what to think of it.

"Are you sure? They know exactly what I look like. They saw me. They are looking for me..." He added, just making sure, being skeptic of all this. He dearly wanted to stay out of all that at the moment. He didn't want to risk to be seen and chased about the town again. Who knows how long his energy will last this time... "How about I say... no?" He tried, putting up some resistance as a last resort, knowing that she will easily swat this away like a fly with the mention of their deal. But one can dream, right?

Hyano gave him a 'nice try' look before shaking her head.

"Not an option. You are going to go and you will be just fine. If anything, you will stand out the least among everyone else." She explained to him and grinned, then moved a little before pushing him so she could get onto his lap and rest her head on his shoulder. She looked up into his hood with a confident smile. "You will be fine. And at the first sign of trouble we will be out of there. Don't worry." She told him as she relaxed.

The only noise Ren made was a slight hiss as she basically changed his position on her own to make the situation more comfortable for her. Now she doesn't even bother telling him what she wanted...? She simply gets what she wants? No such thing. If he wasn't so tired he would have pushed her off of his lap as punishment but he couldn't even find the energy to do so. No matter. Three hours later she goes off anyway.

"I will not be nice." He also warned. If he is going to hand out free things, he will make sure those dwarves work for them. They can get things from him. If they dare. But what is a wraith without his abilities? "Can I shriek?" He asked, tilting his head, wanting to see how many dare to come around if they feel his aura and the horror his shriek can cause. Hopefully no one will dare to come around her shop.

"Yes, that is fine. You can do whatever as long as you don't hurt or kill anyone." Hyano replied as if it was no big deal. She wasn't worried at all about him scaring the children. She in fact welcomed it. He didn't seem to understand that in fact that would boost the number of people who came into her shop. "You will have fun, I am sure." She said with a smile, then gazed into his hood for a moment. She was debating on asking him to let her touch his face. She was curious as always. It technically was still in the rules... right?

Alone the permission was suspicious... Ren couldn't help but have that little tiny deep feeling that something was off.

"Are you sure? I mean... You do know I can kill just by aura and cause nightmares... right?" He asked, slightly taken aback that she accepted his suggestion. A shriek in itself was maybe terrifying but the fear it causes can make the next few nights full with nightmares of anyone too weakly willed or inexperienced with its terror. His aura also may kill. Well, it wasn't a hundred percent chance but it can kill. It may infect anyone who comes too close with black breath, which in turn will cause nightmares, far more intense than a shriek. The person will fear to fall asleep and eventually either dies in sleep in shock from all the terror or dies of lack of rest. Well, he hoped dearly to infect at least a few people. The less the better. His train of thoughts was interrupted suddenly when he felt her gaze and looked down again, staring back at her for a while before deciding to break the silence and hopefully her gaze. "It is rude."

"Huh? Oh sorry. Didn't realize." The istar said, shaking her head as she was called out for being rude, then giggled lightly as she realized what he said before. "I told you the only rule is you can't hurt or kill anyone. Scaring them is honestly apart of the holiday, believe it or not. You get that part right without overdoing it and tomorrow will go off without a hitch." She told him.

"It is not something I can control." The Nazgul said, shrugging, shaking his head. "My aura once released will do as it pleases. Infecting is its purpose and scaring away. I bet these mortals never came into contact with anything like this. They will think twice before entering. If they do, they might die. But alright. I will do as I wish." He simply concluded, after all she did say he can use his shriek and aura. It won't be his problem if people will get nightmares or die because of black breath. After all he won't attack physically.

Hyano in the end decided to voice the question which burned within her mind right now with her green eyes staring up at his empty dark hood.

"Can I touch your face?" She asked him simply.

Her came suddenly and at first Ren didn't know if he understood it right. Once the meaning of it dawned on him, he automatically leaned away from her.

"No." He told her firmly, shaking his head a little. No one ever has or will touch his face. Ever. He didn't like it and simply wasn't comfortable with the thought. Deal or not. For this he will fight.

The orange wizard pouted a little, then moved so she was sitting in his lap facing him now. She felt so small compared to him but she had gotten used to that long ago.

"Why? I'm not asking much. You get to touch me all over all the time." She pointed out. For once she was being the childish one but she honestly felt a little annoyed that of all the things he was worried about… his face was one of them. She also couldn't figure out if she was right if he never let her have the chance.

The wraith shook his head confused.

"I am not touching you all over. When did I touch you all over?" He asked, uncertain when he touched her face for example. He knew he didn't like it, so thought it might be the same with her. He never touched her face. "And even if I did. Not your face. So you can touch me anywhere else but not my face. End of story." He added, just in case he was wrong. Well, he did touch her maybe but it was all for a reason. Not because of curiosity or that he wanted to examine her. He would feel like an animal... Or an orc that is experimented upon.

Hyano continued to pout before moving back a bit so her back was against the wall.

"Fine. Your chest and torso." She said, crossing her arms waiting for him to try and argue that one. She would instantly point out how he had tickled her all over her sides and even groped her without knowing and realizing it when he tried to get the phone from her. She was not one to give up easily so she was going to try whatever she could. If she won or not was another story.

The Nazgul tilted his head again. His chest? Why does she want to touch his chest? Or anything for that matter. What is so interesting in how he feels like under his cloak? He will never understand.

"Why?" He asked, wanting to hear the reason. He was of course curious about her reply but more importantly her answer will give him more options to argue it with. For now all he could say was 'no' but the explanation would be more mild than at his face. He simply didn't understand her motives.

The wizard sighed.

"You said you had a spectral body... I just can't see it. I'm curious if... if it looks anything like before. When you were human." She explained to him. "I may not be able to see it but I can get a pretty good picture just from touch. You wouldn't be able to tell me because well... you don't really remember what you looked like before so... well that is really all." She explained to him with a shrug. It was as good a reason as any.

_Mortals and their curiosity..._ The wraith hissed and shook his head in disbelief at her before shrugging.

"Just not my face." He finally said, giving her permission this way. As a Nazgul, he had no shame of course and simply found nothing strange in being touched anywhere but his face, of course it was unusual and a strange request but it didn't harm him in any way and while he did not gain from it, he did not lose anything with it either.

Hyano smiled a bit, pleased with the answer. She knew he would not let her just take off his cloak so instead she reached her hands in. Half of her expected for her hands to go right through him. If that happened she would be disappointed but not surprised. He was technically a ghost after all. Besides his dark clothing she had never really touched or made any kind of contact with him, so this would be different.

While the wraith's body was indeed see-through and invisible, he surely did not lack it as he said not long ago. Thus her hands didn't go through it but was met with the cold motionless chest of the wraith, which was only barely warmed by his cloak. Ren didn't mind it of course since he couldn't feel temperatures. What was most noticeable was the lack of movement in his chest. He lacked the heartbeat of every living being, just like the rise and fall of chest when someone is breathing. It was still, only tensing up briefly when she made contact with it, feeling the pressure and simply finding this unusual.

Hyano flinched, surprised that she felt... well anything. She smiled a little, though and relaxed her hands just resting them on his chest for a moment. She could feel the chill that his body carried. He probably had no idea of it since he couldn't feel nor did he need to breath it seemed. She also felt a lack of a heartbeat. She could remember his heartbeat from before when he was human, mostly because she had fallen asleep on him countless times. It was strong and surprisingly slow considering he was such a fast-paced man. Once she came to grips with these things, she started to let her hands move more in a curious fashion now.

The Nazgul didn't know what was so fascinating in all this. He only felt the pressure of her touch but otherwise the feeling of her warmth or tickling or anything else was non-existent. He failed to see the interesting part of touching him and started losing interest in it all, soon looking away from her with a hiss. The brief action did cause his chest to rise and fall according to the intake of breath and exhale as he gave out the faint sound but remained still right after. Ren looked around for something to do while she... 'explored' and looked to his side at the fake cat. He started fumbling with it as his own entertainment, waiting for her to finish. He didn't mind where she touched but was ready to lash out if she decided to try and go for his face.

The orange istar finally stopped and pulled her hands back. She seemed to consider what she should do for a moment. She knew what Ren said about touching his face. He didn't want her to, didn't like the idea. For what reason? She couldn't really be sure. He didn't even technically have the capacity to feel, or maybe there was still some sense left. She wanted to know, though... she wanted to know if he looked... or rather felt, like the man she remembered. Sure, she felt his body but... would his face be his face? Or would it be a skull? Or not even there? She decided she wanted to know more than she feared the wraith in front of her, so without a word she reached out for his face.

Ren wasn't truly paying attention to her anymore, having lost interest in her curiosity a while ago already. Though, no matter what he did at any time... if something neared his hood he automatically turned towards it. As her hand was felt by his senses and it came into his field of vision, the wraith hissed harshly and leaned back, away from her offending limb. He told her strictly to not touch his face and let her drown her interest elsewhere... and now here she is once again completely disregarding his command.

"No." He told her firmly, not wishing to leave any room to argue about this. The Nazgul -to make sure she understand the finality of his word- made a move to shove her off of his lap so he can stand up. Bet or not... He still wanted and will keep some limits in place.

Hyano gave him an annoyed look, which only increased when he tried to push her off. Instead of letting him, she grabbed his hands and held them before tugging him towards her.

"Yes." she said stubbornly. She already knew where this was going to go. She just cleaned this house too. Oh well. She was going to have to buy some new things by the end of all this.

The wraith replied with a sharp hiss as he formed his hands into fists and yanked them out of her grip. Her stubbornness came as a surprise for Ren, seeing he was used to her more... obedient self. Back then in the mines of Moria she learned that he was her Lord and he knows what is best for them, that he was greater and his word is law. However, the Nazgul had to remember that she decided to betray him and left him to his destruction by the time and lack of magic itself. How would he expect any obedience from her now? And after all that she said and lied about... he cannot trust her in anything anymore. While they had a bet and she won it... there are still some limits he wanted to keep to. His face is off-limits. Always was and always will be.

"Do not dare, wizard..." He hissed, trailing off and prepared himself to strike if she as much as made a move towards his hood again. He will not tolerate any touch like that. He let her do so anywhere else. Now she should respect his command. She got what she wanted after all, right?

Well, she hadn't expected to be called by her title. He never had before, or at least she couldn't remember for the moment. However, now that he got her thinking about it... why was she doing this like a human again? With that thought in mind, she looked into his hood before holding up a hand and letting it glow with energy.

"Let's see you stop me." She said before flicking her hand, the magic bursting and pinning his hands to the floor. Oh, she was going to be in trouble later for this one.

Ren honestly was expecting the usual light orb into his hood. Whenever she wanted something that he did not give or they were arguing she would just throw a magical light at him so he would be distracted for a while and she can watch him suffer... until he gets free from that annoying orb and punishes her for it. He prepared for it as soon as she made a move but was surprised to instead find his hands tied to the floor. Hissing once, the wraith began to pull on them to free himself from this situation but had no luck. The magical binding spell did its job perfectly. He was not a mage so knew of no ways to change this... However, he was not a human who pathetically would just give up like that after he was unable to move from his position. Ren is a Nazgul. If he cannot use his hands, then there are other body parts he still had at his command. So, not panicking in any way, the dark creature simply leaned slightly back and without warning brought up a metal booted foot, then began shoving her away from him. His almost calm action however should not mistake his mood as the same.

"Dispel this cuff this instant!" He hissed, his voice rough and commanding, already anger flaring up at the surface, not even shielding it. She needs to know that what she is doing is simply not approved by him.

Hyano stepped off him for a moment watching him and his mannerisms. Most may be scared by this but not her. Despite her lack of memories, this whole situation seemed so... understandable? The way he gave off a personality yet lacked any emotions. How he reacted to every movement she made yet never seemed to actually be looking directly at her. She looked into his hood before she flicked her hand and did the same thing to his ankles, then stepped up and actually sat on his chest cross-legged with her hands resting on her lap.

"... My statement still stands." She said, then held a hand out dangerously close to his hood but didn't quite touch just yet.

This only angered the wraith even further. He hissed and spat like a furious cat as she casually just so sat on him, seemingly not even bothered by his order. But again, he wasn't about to just so give up and let her do what he strictly forbade her. Bet or not.

"I command you!" He screeched as he flexed his back and bent it upwards and pushed her up with this move before suddenly leaning to the side, wanting to throw her off of him. If she thought he was defenseless and easy to overcome... she had another thing coming...

Hyano held fast to the wraith almost like one would a bucking bull. She wasn't about to be thrown off that easily.

"Actually... for the time being 'I' command you." She corrected. By the terms of their bet she was temporarily the one in control and it was by his own doing, not hers. She sat with her hands in her lap and waited for him to make an argument. The face was not specified in their bet, so in all reality it was fair game. She also had finally realized this was her chance to have some control over this all too odd relationship she had with this creature... She had better take it.

The Nazgul hissed in return at the young wizard and lifted his hooded head to look at her, about to tell her off and explain why this is so wrong in so many ways for his mind but he didn't manage to say anything. Mainly because... even his mind could not come up with an excuse. Yes... she won their bet and yes he will have to do as she said for three long days... So saying any excuse of this sort will be invalid. Even he knew that. Wraiths have a pride that cannot be matched even by elves... but they also have the sense of honor and keeping to what they said. This is their... as one could say... failure in their creation. They were honest when not told otherwise by their Lord. And right now... he is not there...

"My face is not the subject of the bet. I would never let anyone touch it. Neither you." He hissed, trying to come up with the best explanation that does not push against her... rightful... command over him. But honestly, even he didn't know why he didn't like to be touched there. It just felt strange to let anyone do so, it felt wrong and if anyone came close... he would almost feel something like panic rise within him. He cannot feel such a thing of course but he would feel like he wanted to get away from the offending hand...

"There was no real subject to start with." Hyano replied, dismissing his statement altogether. "So, I can touch it if I 'want' to. Simple as that." She added with a smile as she put her hands on his chest and leaned down looking into the darkness of his hood. She wondered momentarily why was it he seemed to be... getting worried? Maybe... an essence of a memory was driving him to act this way? She couldn't remember much from that far back. Maybe... this would help, though. "I would suggest you just stay still and bear through it. It will make the 'ordeal' a little easier." She suggested, before bringing her hand closer to his face again.

"It is an unspoken subject! I didn't let you touch it back then, will not let you do so now!" Ren replied, still handling her as if she knew the past they lived through and he hissed when her hands came closer, his invisible gaze keeping it under watch, her every move being observed as he leaned his head back and to the side to avoid contact. He also began to buckle under her again as he summoned all his strength to keep her from going through her plan. The aura of darkness rose within the air as well in return, his anger flaring as her disobedience became clearer and obvious. "If you do this... You will be sorry once the three days are over..." He inserted this threat in the hope that this will keep her from touching his face. She should know that he can and will do so in the future. "We shall see where you don't like to be touched!"

The wizard grabbed onto him with her free hand before tilting her head and scoffing.

"Ren... you were already going to make my life hell after this for at least a month. I don't even remember much and I know that." She pointed out before deciding enough was enough. She was going to go through with this sooner or later, so might as well stop messing around. She fell out of her cross-legged stance and planted her feet at either side of his chest in order to steady herself before going for it. She wanted to know... now would be her only shot.

There was nothing Ren could do to prevent this from happening any longer. He did draw his hooded head back but he could not melt through the floor despite being spectral, so tensed up as soon as he felt the pressure of her fingertips brush against the one area he never liked to be touched at.

Hyano blinked, sensing his face. Her body shivered as his breath brushed her skin but she chose to focus on just the feel of his face. That is until... she wasn't focusing on anything anymore... what was this?

Though, at the first touch his face did not feel much different from his torso. It was cold, motionless, the contours of his past face were even slightly dulled. His eyes could not be recognized anymore than a bump under her touch, along his nose. But his mouth... The lips that the living possesses were there... along with the ability to part. The only difference was that his breath was thick and cold... Very cold. But aside of the looks, the touch brought something else forth within her mind. There was a feeling as if there was a sudden stab at her mind and a picture came before her eyes, as if it was taken from long ago, like an old photograph. There were three of them present, her, Ren and an orc. They were in a chamber or a cave, mud was on the ground in a thick layer, so they were basically knee deep in it. There were a few flashes after this, showing her as Ren kept ducking behind the orc as she flung a ball made of mud at him, then when she jumped over the orc to nail the Nazgul right in the hood, along with when she was snatched by the same orc and bathed in the mud. She was laughing merrily despite the situation. Then there was another stab, causing the happy image to almost liquefy and drip away from her vision, giving way to darkness all around her. This time she heard voices, the sound of crying... and the angry hiss of a wraith. There was pleading... Then the image came up with her shedding tears and shaking in front of a chained goblin as it begged for its life in desperation... then there was Ren, angrily shoving her towards the defenseless creature and repeating the command 'kill' over and over. But she apparently refused... only for him to take a threatening step towards her, which pushed her fear to do as he wanted and with a cry of apology she shot a magical blast at the pleading creature.

Memories again? At first they made the wizard feel... warm... oddly happy despite knowing that the place she was in was very dangerous. She smiled a little, her eyes glazed over as she experienced the mud battle before her smile disappeared and her face mimicked the one she had in the memory. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She gritted her teeth, shaking her head, then when she was finally released she gasped and jumped away from him panting.

"Dear Valar..." She whispered, shaking.

While she experienced this for what seemed like minutes, for the wraith it was nothing more but a few seconds. He could not feel anything different; neither did he seem to realize what happened. All he could see that the moment she touched him in his hood she began to smile, then a few seconds later that salty liquid appeared in her eyes, dripping down her face. Once when she jumped away and released his binds could he finally move and prop himself up to stare at her, tilting his hooded head to the side in curiosity and confusion, then repeated the gesture to the other side, unsure what is wrong with her. Although, whatever happened she must have deserved it after all that she did to him. He despised this bet so far.

"Your heart is racing, your temperature is rising and you smell of fear... Good." Ren hissed, rather satisfied by her reaction, thinking that it was the result of her experience.

The girl gripped her head with one hand. Getting memories always hurt and the added emotional pain wasn't helping.

"H-how could I have...? Why... the goblin... He did nothing... They all did nothing. Why did you make me kill them?!" She snapped as she forced herself to her feet, her mind trying to go over the new information. It was a lot like trying to remember a dream. Details were still lost to her. Why she had to do what she did, for example. How long she did it. Memories that are taken in like this often flash from part to part so she honestly had no idea how long the whole ordeal took place. "H-how long did I torture that thing?" She asked herself, though, she knew she didn't have the answer.

The shouting didn't impress Ren at all. If anything, it made him even more curious. "What?" He asked, tilting his dark hooded head to the side again, not sure how this topic came up all of a sudden. He didn't say anything about it, or did he? But no matter, there were a lot of unexplained action on her part in the past days and he learned to not question the motivation, because she will answer with 'I had a vision', or 'it does not matter', or the famous 'you wouldn't understand'. None of these made sense to him. He knew she remembers, just is stubborn and is defending her own truth, which in itself is a lie. Though, he learned to answer anyway, seeing they do bring up good times and bad times to gain experience thought them.

"The goblins? They are nothing, expendable petty rats that could be produced and bred without stop. I trained you to kill, preparing you for war." He explained as he slowly stood up, brushing his cloak here and there to get rid of the small dirt that he caught there. Well, there is still plenty of it from ancient times but he did not care about that. "You became better at it with time. The last one suffered for hours." The wraith basically mused, clearly pleased by her progress in it. "But all that is gone with my absence. You became weak to death once again."

Hyano gritted her teeth at the thought.

"... I..." She shuddered at the thought but then she thought back on more recent years without Ren in her life. Days where she had killed people for various reasons, mostly for defense of some kind or another but she also remembered... feeling like some other person when she did it. Almost like she had enjoyed it but she had always dismissed it for obvious reasons. She shook her head. "I... I am not a natural born killer. What else did you expect to happen?" She pointed out as she stepped back from him, then headed towards the kitchen. "I need a drink." She grumbled feeling she needed something to clear her head.

"But you became one." Ren added quickly before she walked off. Showing little interest in what she meant, the wraith simply decided he wanted to use any time he could get away from her. Just to prevent any orders she might have for him. He slunk away back upstairs and sat on the couch before bringing a hand to the remote, switching the black box on and searching the channels for his show. Ah, there it is. He still didn't know what these creatures were but they gave him enough entertainment by constantly dying. And that they did so as they should. Ren still made a very brief search for his bouncy ball which he must have left here before he went hunting a few days ago... His invisible gaze swept the room quickly before returning to the screen. Oh well... Maybe later. For now, the yellow creature's agonizing death through skinning seemed more interesting to the Nazgul.

* * *

Hyano was shaky for obvious reasons. She rummaged through all the cupboards until she found what she was looking for. Vodka. She hadn't normally been one for drinking, however she was going to drink all this craziness away. She thought this for a moment but shook her head and put the bottle to the side, then started the coffee pot. This will be a lot more help. A relaxing pot of coffee. She wasn't a big fan of coffee but it could relax the mind if taken with some cream and sugar.

"One of the few things humans created that is actually worth something." She said to herself.

_'See what power he has over you..._' A voice rang in her head all of a sudden, completely unexpectedly and out of nowhere. '_Your actions now are defined by his deeds. '_The voice sounded again, now becoming familiar from a few days ago. It was silent and soft; almost feeling like it was her subconscious trying to deal with her memories. '_He forces you to want to forget, yet expects you to remember...'_

Hyano stopped in her tracks, frowning at this, her eyes briefly scanning the kitchen for another presence but found none. She shook her head.

"He doesn't force me to do anything." She mumbled, not realizing she was speaking aloud. She still wasn't used to having company in her home. She had spent so many years living alone that speaking to herself was actually quite normal. "He doesn't expect anything of me. He doesn't even believe I don't remember." She added. Her ears picked up the sound of the pot starting the process of boiling the water and mixing it into coffee. She let her eyes focus on the dark liquid. Anything to keep her mind from focusing on her inner thoughts. Well, what she thought were her inner thoughts.

"_He expects you to know... To remember... He doesn't believe you... Your thoughts and opinions mean nothing to him. All you are is a toy, an item he can throw away... A thing that has no opinion, no personality. All he knows is his own right._"

"Bull." The wizard cursed under her breath, glaring at... well… nothing. She glared ahead of her. Her eyes looking straight at the wall as her hands gripped the counter. She had yet to realize she was even talking aloud let alone to someone who wasn't even there. She heard a 'ding' and it snapped her back to reality, her eyes going down to the coffee maker. She shook her head and quickly poured herself a cup. Her hands were shaking. Then again, her mind was doing what it always did when she was over-thinking things, going a mile minute. Did he care what she had to say? Of course he did. He had to right? She was his second? Isn't that what he said? Wait... what if he had changed his mind? No! She shook her head. "Without me he would still be a statue. He doesn't believe me because he is a stubborn pain in the neck who doesn't understand magic... but he does need me." She said, not sure who she was trying to convince...

Herself... or the voice.

_"Did he ever thank you for that? Did he ever praise you for your good service? No he did not... He thinks all you do is natural, but you need to fight him if you need a favor. You needed this bet to just get to touch his face! And even then he fought you! He knows no honor... and so does not understand yours."_

The thoughts this voice gave her caused the woman to shudder and in so doing so her hand shook, making the liquid splash and hit her hand. She gasped, gritting her teeth as the cup dropped from her hand and onto the floor, making a loud crash. She jumped back from the hot liquid and looked down at it for a moment. The voice was right, of course... Even when she had control she had nothing... and that angered her. She looked at the coffee pot, her mind debating on making another cup before her mind went back to the alcohol.

"Screw it." She said before grabbing the bottle and in one go she got down two gulps of the liquid which began stinging the back of her throat. She gasped. "Shut up." She said again, glaring at nothing.

The voice however seemed persistent, not listening to her demand. "_That is the cold truth. You can do all you want, conquer the world for him; sacrifice your life for him... You can put your heart out... and it will never be enough. You never were enough for him. Your future holds no hope at his side._"

Hyano didn't even pay attention to how much she took in anymore. She just started drinking, trying to make the voice quiet down. _'It does hold hope. Hope that I can bring my Ren back. I have to stay by his side or else he is lost forever_.' She mentally argued. Before she knew what happened the bottle was empty. She blinked at it. She didn't even feel buzzed. She tried to take a step forward and felt the world started spinning. Oh wait... there it is. She grabbed the counter quickly to keep from falling. Well... this wasn't good... waiting... was it? She smirked slightly. "Who cares?" She said aloud and laughed.

The voice seemed to be silent for a few seconds, giving her the impression that she might have beaten it with the drink. _"But what do you gain from all this? You will only let him build up more expectations... You will let him use you... And for what? Some hope?"_

"Hope is all you have when you have nothing left." The orange istar said back, then went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine this time. Wine. It tasted like vinegar but maybe enough of it would get this voice to shut up. "And I don't have much." She added before using a spell to pop the cork. She tried to down it but in the end poured some on herself. She shook her head and wiped her chin with her sleeve before looking to the door. Ren was still in the living room. "Do you care about anything besides killing?!" She yelled at him from the kitchen.

The creature in question was already sitting on the couch, watching his favorite show, not at all paying any attention to her and what she might be doing in the kitchen. If anything, the more she stayed away, the less she will command him around and bruise his pride in the next days. Only then did he seem to pay any heed to her once she shouted out to the living room, making him hiss and turn his hooded head away from the black box to stare at the entrance to the kitchen briefly before returning to the show. What kind of question was that? His mind could not come up with any reason how this could even come up as a topic after what happened... So, Ren did what he was an expert in already and raised his voice so she can hear him.

"Why?"

Hyano downed the last of the bottle, then threw it, smashing it against the couch near Ren. She giggled, then laughed, finding this for some reason hilarious. Why? She honestly didn't know. She walked into the living room, swaying a bit. "Because there is waaaaaay more to do than that... You know what... speaking of more to do... I'm going to go have some fun. The clubs should be open by now. I can have a little fun there... hehe... Maybe do some dancing." She said with a laugh, not even asking him if he wanted to go. He couldn't after all, given the current situation with his clothes.

The wraith already lost interest in her babbling and was watching his show when he jumped up in surprise and hissed sharply like a furious cat when he heard the sudden noise somewhere near him, then tilted his head to the side, calming down when he noticed the pieces of glass on the floor. This silenced him for the moment, drawing his attention, the shards easily reflecting the small light that seeped into the living room. It made the glass shine in all the colors of the rainbow, which even moved when the wraith stepped closer to it. However, his attention was suddenly jerked away from it when Hyano talked about this... club.

"What is that?" He asked, stepping once towards her, curious and yet suspecting. He also found her scent a bit strange right now, which made him tilt his head to the side, sniffing their air as he tried to determine the source of this difference. He also looked her over, watching as she swayed in her stance. What in the name of the Nine...

"You... don't need to know because you can't come anyway. You kind of refuse to change your clothes so you are stuck here. I, on the other hand, can go wherever I want because I am smart enough to put on a different shirt and take a bath every once in a bloody blue moon." The obviously drunk woman said as she walked her way, just barely, to her room. "Alright... now where is that dress... dress... dress. Ah! Dress!" She said as she pulled out a silk orange dress that was made to impress all who saw it, for the obvious reason of catching eyes, of course. She was drunk and beyond annoyed. Why not perk her mood up with a little fun?

The wraith at this point was already highly annoyed by her way of speech. How dare she speak down to him like that! Ren wasn't known for his patience when it came to such things and he wasn't about to let her get away with this attitude. Of course, being a Nazgul, he did not understand what it meant to be drunk; neither did he know the effects of alcohol or even what alcohol is and where it can be found, so he had no clue why she was so insolent all of a sudden.

"I am your Lord. I have all the right to know what it means." The creature hissed as he followed after her, going inside her room as well, crossing his arms over his cloaked chest. "And I have all the right to put you back into your place if you continue this behavior."

"Aaaaaaactually-" Hyano said as she started getting undressed, for once not caring if he saw her body. She was too drunk to care just now. "I do believe our deal says otherwise and as 'your' Lord I say... you don't need to know." She said with a grin as she grabbed up the dress and slipped it on. She looked herself over for a moment and turned around before grabbing a pair of heals. "See you some time later, Ren. Don't burn the house down." She said, waving him off as she went to walk around him to get to the door. It was a surprise she could honestly walk straight right now but she was doing fairly well.

If she thought she will get past him... she was terribly wrong. Before she could do so, a gauntleted hand shot to the side, slamming its sharp claw-like fingers into the wooden door frame with a loud smack, indicating that she will not go anywhere so easily. The wraith was still staring ahead into nothing, seemingly frozen into place like the statue he was, before finally turning his hooded head towards her form and soon he was in her face, pushing her backwards with his chest and the force of his step which he took forward.

"Listen up, witch." He said, his voice low but commanding. "This does not change anything on the normal hierarchy. I am your Lord, bet or not and as your Lord I demand that you tell me or else you are not going. Or better yet... you are not going at all as a punishment. You do NOT talk to me like that. The disrespect is unbearable... If you were not my mate... your head would roll on the floor by now and I would bathe my cloak in your blood." He hissed, scolding her and threatening her with the authority he knew or at least he believed he had over her.

Hyano blinked as the hand zipped passed her face and raised a brow at it before gasping as she was shoved against the wall. She cringed of course, then opened one eye to look at him. She listened to what he had to say before glaring.

"Oh really now?" She asked before slamming her fists into his chest, using her magic to slam him back. "Alright first off, even if you did try to kill me I can more easily stick you to the ceiling and leave you there than you can get away with that. Second, I believe the terms of our bet are you do whatever I say and so I will make my words clear... Stay here... and chill out... And third, if you must know, it is a building with drinks, people, and a ton of dancing. You don't like any of those things anyway so there you go... More useless information. Enjoy!" She said and flipped him the bird as she went to the door.

The Nazgul knew he couldn't exactly argue all points she said. Yes, their bet was that he will do exactly as she said whenever she said it for three days. But still... There are a few things they did not include. And this is what he can counter with.

"The term of the bet is that I do as you say, indeed..." He trailed off and walked after her with long determined steps, then faced her, blocking her path towards the door. "But disrespect was not within it. Respect and dignity has nothing to do with our bet and you are dangerously angering me with this." He hissed, clearly showing the signs of fury at the moment, his hands forming into fists as he talked. "I don't care anymore what a club is."He spat. "You stay here and think about the words you spoke so carelessly."

"And if I don't?" The wizard replied, crossing her arms in front of him, waiting to see what he might say or do. Her drunken mind obviously wasn't afraid of him in any way. Not like how she normally was sober. She normally would have stepped back long ago, however now... she was simply not caring about what he had to say.

The wraith knew he did not need to say the result with words. He did not talk needlessly when he could make her see with her own eyes. One of his gauntleted hands moved down and grasped the handle of his hidden sword within his cloak, basically threatening her with the motion. He will cut her head off or at least her legs to keep her from going. Wizard or not, bet or not, his second in command or not. She has to listen to his words when he commands her or else she will feel his wrath. Though, this action of his did not last for too long because all of a sudden he tilted his head to the side and began to sniff the air, once again smelling that strange scent in the air. Unknown to him, his nose picked up the smell of mixed alcoholic drinks, which she reeked of by now. Well... everyone knows already that whatever reeks usually is pleasing to the senses of a dark creature. It wasn't any different right now either. He began to follow the scent, his head moving to the side first to try and find the source, following its trail until he faced her again, realizing that she is the one emitting it. Ren tilted his head to the side and watched her, expressing his confusion and mild curiosity.

Hyano had been ready to pin him to the ceiling and leave him there until she left the house when he gave her an odd look. She tilted her head before realizing he could smell her.

"Oh right. I'm drunk." She said bluntly with a grin. "That... involves drinks... lots of drinks... You know what...? I want another one... and they have more at the club... Bye." She said as she tried to turn and head for the door, though, the turn made the whole world spin around her and she had to grab the wall to keep from falling over. Alright... where was up and down again?

Ren tilted his head to the other side, not sure what she is talking about. Drunk? Involves lots of drinks? What kind of drinks? Water? The wraith simply lacked the experience and the knowledge to understand what she meant. In his world as a dark creature, such things simply don't exist. He did see a few strangely behaving mortals around but the fact that it could be caused by drinking... never crossed his mind. He was about to ask her to specify this when she moved, expressing her wish to go to this club to get more drinks. He hissed in return and reached out a gauntleted hand to grasp her arm to whirl her around and push her back but he ended up gripping nothing as she twirled a bit on her feet. It surprised the Nazgul as well, who tilted his hooded head to the side again and stepped closer, watching her in a curious fashion, finding sudden unwavering interest in this oddity. He then held a hand out and simply shoved her to the side, wanting to see her reaction. His simple, one-tracked mind began to work hard; the wheels were turning as he experimented.

The orange wizard gasped as she was pushed and stepped in that direction, barely staying on her feet and for a moment she swung her arms like she was on the edge of a cliff. She finally stepped forward, catching herself and relaxed, then wagged a finger at Ren.

"Now that wasn't nice. Don't be mean. It isn't becoming of a Lord." She said as if he was a child who made a small mistake, which could be argued in some ways. Ren never really did grow up mentally.

The wraith in question tilted his head again, watching her curiously. Now there seems to be not only a problem with just her behavior but also with her abilities? His only answer to her slight scolding was a hiss. For one, if he wanted to be mean as a Lord he had all the right to behave like it if he wanted, while she -as his servant- will have to tolerate it. And secondly... He was just curious. If he was mean... she would feel that clearly. Instead he reached out and shoved her again slightly, stepping forward to go after her.

Hyano looked like she might fall forward from the push but instead she spun around and fell against him.

"Oof!... Reeeeen." She grumbled as she clutched onto him, then giggled. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I could ask the simplest of things of you and you would never listen. That is just how you are." She said then cringed as she heard a soft whisper in the back of her mind but it was too dull to make out anything that was being said.

Let us say that Ren was surprised when she began to make some strange movements, almost falling over before just twirling and falling against him, causing him to step backwards, having not prepared himself for this. He hissed at her, still the touch he received at his face fresh in his mind.

The istar pushed off of him, trying to get to the kitchen. She needed to drown it out. She didn't care what she used but she needed to drown the voice out before it came back to mess with her again.

But if she thought she will have such an easy and safe journey... then she underestimated the curiosity and vengeance of the Nazgul. Because as soon as she stepped forward, he reached out and shoved her again. Normally she would just step forward once but her last stunt made him curious. This was an adequate entertainment for him after what she did to him. Wasn't it?

Hyano hadn't expected it but somehow despite her being drunk she fell forward, then somehow did a one handed cartwheel back onto her feet. She blinked, not seeming to notice the marvel of what she had done, instead she blinked at how close to the kitchen door she now was. She then tried to take a step towards it and somehow ended up tripping on air falling to the side with a groan. One might wonder which was greater… The victory of pulling off a rather nice gymnastics move while drunk off her tail or the loss of tripping over air right afterwards.

As soon as she fell the wraith tilted his head to the side sharply, watching her silently, only releasing the sound of a faint hiss once he noted her position and his mind processed her actions. Ren stepped forward and stood next to her, observing, pondering. She was strange today... Slowly but surely, the curious Nazgul reached out with a gauntleted hand and poked her shoulder with it, maybe with a greater force than what would be comfortable. He did not say a word, though, just stared at her, unsure what to think or what to do with her.

"Your temperature is rising..." He said, knowing very well that she hated it when he mentioned this, making it rise even more. The wraith found it strangely amusing.

"Like you would know. You are as cold as ice... No ice melts. You are always cold. I guess that makes you colder." Hyano said as she sat up and stretched before groaning. For once her hot temperature didn't seem to bother her, instead she just smirked up at him a little flirty. "Or does my high temperature warm you up as well?" She asked with a purr in her voice before flicking her hand using her magic to knock him off of his feet before jumping on him so she was sitting on his lap now.

All Ren could do was tilt his head to the side as she began her short monologue about his temperature. Honestly, he didn't know what the truth was. He didn't know what was ice-cold, didn't know what warmth felt like. All he knew was that he existed and he did not care about this detail. Her question made him tilt his hooded head to the other side but shrieked briefly when he suddenly found himself on his back with his invisible gaze facing the ceiling. He didn't have time to ponder however, because in the next moment he felt the pressure of weight on him, so turned his head towards her, staring at her in confusion while he searched his mind for any familiar encounters he had with her in this position to find out if he should tolerate this or beat her senseless for it. His pride was in line and as every Nazgul, he valued it even over his own existence. Hence why he kept fighting her after every order she gave him today, even if she won the bet. Deep down he knew she had the right and he is to keep his word which he gave... but... his dignity wouldn't let him rest. And her strange behavior made him suspicious.

"I do not care about temperatures." The Ringwraith said firmly and began to sit up, moving his gauntleted hands to shove her off of him. He didn't know what was wrong with her but now she is starting to irritate him.

The orange istar wasn't sure if she fell off of him, was pushed or allowed him to push her off, however the end result was all the same. Her on the floor, pouting.

"Aw but you should. If I get too hot I could overheat and die. Though, I guess the only way you would care about that is if I pointed out that if that happens you die right along with me." She said in annoyance, obviously expecting him to care just a little more about her wellbeing. If only for the sake of his own. "Can I go now? I still want to get that drink." She only half asked as she tried to get up to do so.

"If you are in danger your smell is different, your heartbeat gets fast, the blood rushes to your head." The Nazgul explained bluntly as he stood up after she did, adjusting a few straps of his cloak underneath it and dusted it off like he kept it clean at all times. Although... there is dried mud and blood all over it... "I have prevented your death before our magic melded. You are alive because you are useful. But if you become a danger to my future plans... you will die, even if it means my own existence ceases." He put the warning right in, just to make sure she doesn't feel completely safe because of their situation. He was a wraith. A Nazgul. He did not fear death because he was already hovering between the two worlds. He does not feel pain because nothing can compare to the one his cursed soul goes through every moment of his existence. The only reason he still walks the realm of the living was because of his self-appointed goal which he believed was the will of his Lord.

The young-looking woman stopped however before she reached the kitchen door. Her mind worked just enough to come up with an idea. She smirked a little.

"Ooooooh I know exactly what I want to do now... Since you won't let me go to the club, you are going to help me bring the club here." She said with a devilish grin.

Ren was about to remind her of his command from just a few moments ago about the case of her leaving but stopped in his tracks when she changed her plans. This caused the wraith to tilt his hooded head to the side and stare at her in silence for a moment, seemingly frozen in one spot.

"Club? Mortals?" He asked, trying to associate it to what he knew. She told him this is where mortals go. But for what, he already forgot. That is not important for him. So, as usual, he asked his most famous question. "Why?"

Hyano ignored everything he said before the question of 'why?'. She grinned at this.

"Clubs are fun. Not for you since you can't feel joy but for me and trust me when I say that me being happy makes me all that much stronger." She said before going into the kitchen and pulling out a bottle of vodka. She set about mixing that with some Mountain Dew and grape juice. By the time she finished she had a huge pitcher of grape, bubbly alcohol.

The whole time the Nazgul of course watched her with a newfound interest. He tilted his head to the side as she began her work in the kitchen, his nose picking up the various smells of the drink she was mixing. It wasn't so bad but neither all too pleasant for his senses. But it was something he could bear. It was simply new for him. Well, he was many times in the way, especially when he picked up some bottles she needed and almost went off with them, only for her needing to go after him or take it from him before he put it in his hoard.

The orange wizard then came back and flipped on some music. She picked something she thought he might 'like.' A rock style that was based off of classical music, then looked at him.

"Dance with me." She ordered simply as she walked up to him.

The wraith stopped in his tracks once the music came on. Though, his interest was broken once she demanded that he dance with her. Ren just stared at her, watching her silently, before asking the only question that came to his mind.

"Dance?" Obviously... he didn't know what it meant.

Hyano giggled lightly.

"It is amazing how smart you are yet how little you know at times." She said before taking his hands. "It is movement. A partnership and movement with the music. If done right, it can be a lot of fun, if done wrong it can be funny. So again, I say dance with me." She explained, tugging his hands so he moved towards her slightly and stepped towards him herself. She was eager and drunk and honestly she wanted to see his no-balanced butt fall to the ground as he tried to dance. Now, that would be funny.

His only true response was a brief shake of his hooded head and a stare as he tried to process what was said but could not quite grasp what she wanted to say exactly. A movement... Ren understood that one. Partnership? What kind of partnership? And how can one move with the music? He could hear the music just fine but failed to see any way in it how he could move according to it. He was snapped out of his concentration when she pulled on his hands again to make him step closer to her, so was left with staring at her. Besides... who gave her the authority to-... Yes... It was him after he lost their bet. But still, he saw no way he could follow this... order... since he did not know what to do... and she was not giving clear instructions.

"Perhaps a detailed explanation will change the situation." Or a demonstration. He might be doing what she tells him but he wasn't about to let his pride break over something petty.

Hyano giggled at his dumbfounded nature before shrugging. She stepped back and changed the music to something slower.

"I guess I can teach you. Just follow my lead. When you think you have it figured out you can lead." She said with a grin before taking his hands again and then she started to dance. She didn't have enough mind-power to give him a proper explanation, however she could do this much at least.

The Nazgul tilted his head to the side as he watched her... unclear and rather mashed movements due to the low control she had over it because of the drinks. His hooded head turned down to watch her feet and how she swayed her hips and found that... this wasn't something he thought would be fitting for his kind. It seemed pointless to him, serving no purpose and thus was of no use. So why would she waste the energy she had on something like this?

"What if I say no?" This wasn't a question, seeing he wasn't about to just... move about like that. While he felt no such feeling like awkwardness or embarrassment, he did feel that his pride would be bruised if he moved about like some kind of worm. His senses could not catch the rhythm of the music, so found nothing to base his movements on. The only lead he had was her sense of the beat. Though, he must say... the rhythmic stepping did allure his attention, just like a slow dancing flame. His hooded head followed her movements but still made no attempt to mimic.

"You won't because it would be breaking your word." Hyano said simply with a smirk. She might be drunk but she knew a bet was a bet and a wraith, despite his dark nature, wouldn't break his word. It was a pride thing, really.

Ren knew what she said was valid. But he was a dark creature of pride, so would never admit it. Neither to himself. He was still far more right than her because it served no real purpose, so was pointless. But if something pointless and useless is her desire, then he would comply because he gave his word in bind with the bet. With a hiss, he finally looked down again to watch how her feet moved, observing it with curiosity, tilting his hooded head to the side, then finally made a step, attempting to do the same as her but it was a quite clumsy start. He almost managed to step forward at the same time as her. Knowing how heavy he was even for a wraith... he could have ended up making a pancake out of her foot. Again, his sense of the beat was non-existent, instead tried to copy what she did, even though there was some delay. The only thing he moved were his feet, because he lacked the sense of moving his body right along, like swaying or moving his arms and shoulders.

One step at a time, right?

The istar grinned as he started to dance.

"I'm surprised you aren't better than this. Hunting is kind of similar. The beat of the heart you are tracking tells you how to move and how fast. You also used to have to dance a lot when you were human. Kings all had to as a general requirement." She said with a giggle as she relaxed into the dance.

The wizard's reply was an annoyed hiss from the Nazgul as he stepped again, this time just barely missing her foot by less than half an inch.

"No, they are not at all similar. I don't have to follow a heartbeat with steps. And I don't care about my weaker past." He practically grumbled if that was possible for a wraith to do. It more seemed like Ren was trying to mimic her irritated and pouting self when she behaved the same way as he was now. "What is the point of this other than what you call... 'fun'?" He asked out of curiosity and lifted his invisible gaze to meet hers, tilting his head to the side, not watching his own step for a second. This was enough to make sure disaster erupts. Because at that moment he managed to make a false step at the wrong time and ended up stepping on her foot.

Hyano gasped, cringing at the pain. _Why in all of Middle-Earth was this man so damn heavy?_ She thought, then looked up at him.

"Hand eye coordination for one which you are lacking." She replied bluntly. If there was one way to sober someone up, it was causing them pain. She was still tipsy but the pain caused a few lights in her mind to come back on. "It also helps build trust and allows you to learn about the other's physical skills." She added.

Now this made the wraith curious... And even more confused... What she said in a way made sense but for his inexperienced mind it was hard to image dancing in anyone's everyday lives. Especially not in his. He for one isn't changing his trust towards her just because they dance. It does not work on him.

"So, mortals dance to establish trust..." He repeated, just to make sure he understood right, which he was doubting as each second went by. "We many times spied on mortals as they met for consulting about the war... But they never danced to build trust... Neither did they make their soldiers dance to see their skill..." At least the only gesture he saw was the shake of the other's hand... Which he identified as the test of the other's strength by pressing down as hard as one could to establish dominance. At least... this is how he saw it as a Nazgul.

"Different kind of trust." The wizard replied simply. "You see, you dance with a partner. More often than not someone of the opposite sex. When you dance with them as the male or dominant, you have to move and guide them through the dance and trust that they will follow. They have to trust you to lead them through the steps properly and that you will catch them when they stumble." She explained to him. "What you saw was a type of trust but it was between rivals or those who wanted something from the other. They had to trust each other by their word alone. That is a very loose form of trust." She added, then moved her foot quickly before he had the chance to step on it again.

Ren tilted his hooded head to the other side, staring at Hyano silently for a few seconds as he attempted to mimic her next step.

"I don't understand why else one would want trust than to gain something from the other... So what is so different about this trust... and that?" He asked with a hiss, finding a mild interest in this subject but his attention seemed to flicker from this, to the steps they made and to the music. The wraith just couldn't keep his mind on a single track, hence why he made so many mistakes in this dance. He still didn't quite grasp the pattern of the movements.

Hyano snickered.

"You don't understand the living. For you everything is black or white, there are no levels. However, for everyone who lives there are grays. Touch... is a different level from trusting someone with your resources. Contact is considered more important. After that it is trust with people you care about. Though, it depends on who you are sometimes as to which one is more important to you and requires more trust than the other." She tried to explain, though, honestly she doubted he would ever fully understand. She stopped dancing altogether and thought for a moment before running and changing the music. She started playing a very old piece, from back in their time, then walked back to him. She figured if nothing else, this might at least be more familiar to him.

Ren shook his head briefly again and stared at her, getting more puzzled and confused as she continued trying to explain it all.

"But why would there be different levels for trust? You either trust someone or you don't. There is no in-between..." The wraith said as he looked around when new music started to play. While this one seemed to be calmer and less disturbing, one cannot say that he listened to any in his own time either. Maybe he did hear music but did not pay attention to it when he was under the control of his Lord. "I trusted my brothers, my Lord, and my troops. But no matter what agreement we had with anyone of the other side or allies... I never trusted them and handled them as such. No in-between. Trust or no trust." He hissed, not liking it the way she saw it. She should learn to adapt and only trust people she considers kin. There is no such thing as levels... "Existing is so much simpler if everything is black and white. Colors confuse you, this is why you think too much and over-complicate thoughts."

Hyano rolled her eyes.

"Like I said, you think differently than those that breath. In many ways the way you think is perfectly good for you and should be for others but mortals just can't live that way." She told him honestly, then laughed.

She did not understand what he told her... This was the only thing that drifted through Ren's mind as he hissed, looking away, attempting to copy her steps as best as he could to live up to his end of the bet. It is one thing that he did not understand and another that he partially did... just did not find it an effective way to handle the matter of trust. For him levels were useless and pointless. Especially seeing how life got so complicated over the years of the absence of magic. Everyone has a level of trust, a kind of thought, and a view on life... and in the end this makes them over-think and over-complicate existence itself. Like this dance... He would be damned if he learned the exact steps and actually did them right. There were too many styles, too many changes and just all too much detail in this. He couldn't copy it... Why can't people just... stare at one another and gain trust through the sense of sight and smell?

"Wizards are the best examples. We are trusted yet not trusted by everyone because no one understands us. We are expected to fix all the world's problems yet when they are fixed they want us gone. How horrible is that?" The woman added, waving a hand and stepped to the side and in the end tripped over Ren's foot as well. "Gah?!"

The Nazgul had no time to think and truth is, he did not. His spectral body moved on its own without him seemingly having no control over it for a second there. The movement just... came out of nowhere. As soon as her falling body passed him at the side, his arm moved to her waist and using the force and speed of her fall he guided her weight into an arch around him, turning with it himself, this way whirling her around by her waist. After a few steps however he stopped, staring at her silently, not moving. Then... he let go of her, letting her drop to the ground. What in the name of...

Hyano gasped when she was caught and blinked up at him in surprise. Had he seriously done that? Wait... this wasn't the first time he had done this. In fact she remembered the last time... When was it? She was jarred out of her thoughts when he let her go, making her fall flat on her back and hit her head. She yelped and cringed. Thankfully, this was just the kind of jar to the head she needed. Of course she knew the last time! His dance classes when he was human!

-Flashback-

_She had been sitting on the back of a chair with her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands, pouting like the child she was. She had been waiting for nearly an hour while the dance instructor continued to find whatever reason she could to continue the lesson. Not like Ren hadn't learned the dance long ago. In fact, it looked to Hyano that he could teach the class if he really wanted to. However, the teacher was infatuated with him. Anyone with half a mind could see that. For some reason this annoyed Hyano all the more. _

_When the dance teacher finally allowed the class to end he walked over and noticed her pout. He then, without giving her a chance to say no, grabbed her up and ordered the musicians to play a lively music and decided to give Hyano a lesson of her own. She was small so he held her in his arms and just for fun swung her around a little more than needed, making the little wizard laugh. At the finishing move he swooped her down into the same position Ren had just used moments ago. _

_Hyano had squealed and begged him to do it again. Of course he had and several times after until they had not only worn themselves out but also left the musicians breathless from the effort of playing so long. It had been one of the most fun days in her life. _

-Present-

Hyano blinked up at the ceiling as she thought back on those times.

"They didn't take everything..." She said, her mind seemingly realizing this now that she had been forced to be fully sober. Though, her head was hurting like crazy now.

Ren just stood there, watching her, then averted his gaze to look down at his metal-covered hand which was now held by his other, seemingly surprised by this move just as much as she was. He didn't remember what this was... He didn't even think... It just... happened. And even if his mind told him this was something he never did before, his body on the other hand said otherwise, made the move feel... familiar... The Nazgul shook his hooded head, not even wanting to ponder more about this. He was a wraith! The most feared and ferocious creation and servant of his Dark Lord. He cannot go as low as thinking about this. He opted to dismiss this when Hyano finally spoke up, causing him to look at her again wordlessly, tilting his head to the other side. What did she mean by that? They didn't take everything? Why? Did anyone take anything from him? At these words he looked around, unsure what she meant with them, then shifted his invisible gaze back at her.

"What do you mean? Who took what?" He asked, uncertain and puzzled about this whole situation.

The wizard sat up slowly and looked ahead of her. Not really at anything. She wasn't even paying attention to her surroundings at the moment.

"... Your 'lord' made an effort to take everything from your old self, leaving only what interested him and replacing it with what he needed... unless the Dark Lord likes to dance... he didn't get everything... and that is likely not the only thing he missed." She explained herself, a slight smile growing on her face at the thought. So 'her' Ren wasn't all gone. He was in there. Parts of him were in there. She would likely never get all of him back but... the fact he was still there made her feel so... so much better for some reason.

"This wasn't a dance..." The wraith corrected her, sharing what he thought of this. Yes, the move was almost... out of reflex and he didn't remember having ever done it but he failed to see it as something that matched what she showed him when she demanded he dance with her. He was stubbornly keeping to this opinion of his and crossed his long-sleeved arms above his chest, shaking his hooded head. "This was a... This was..." He tried, each time stopping as his mind failed to come up with any kind of explanation. Ren attempted to search his limited memory, trying to assign this move with anything he knew... But found nothing. He stopped and stared at the wizard wordlessly for a few minutes. Now this was a first... His body told him he knew this yet his mind refused to come up with anything. He was unable to explain it... It was a strange feeling, to say the least. There was disappointment, confusion and the feeling of emptiness all of a sudden, all mixing together in a wave which disturbed the ocean of his mind. This was unusual... He always had words to counter her crazed and mad beliefs... But this time... This time he didn't know what to say.

"It wasn't one of the moves I showed you because I was just showing you the basics." She said before grabbing a controller and clicking to the dance channel where he could see two people dancing at a far more advanced level. As the dance came to an end, he dipped the woman like he had dipped her. She looked up at him into his hood. "Want to try arguing that?" She asked knowing she had officially won this one.

The dark creature stepped closer to the black box, tilting his hooded head to the side as he watched the dancers and indeed saw the whirl and the dip which -according to what she said and experienced- he did. Now that he looked at it... it didn't seem familiar at all. When he did it... it was only his spectral body guiding him and doing the action on its own... But his mind still found it strange and unusual. He averted his invisible gaze from the black box once she talked, meeting her clearly triumphant form. His more dominant self however didn't let this be the end of it.

"Yes..." He answered her question and stepped towards her slowly, taking his time. "That is..." He trailed off and pointed towards the screen with his index finger and kept pointing but said nothing else, trying to come up with an argument. He was used to having one... Good ones at that... But not this time. "This was... different." He finally said. "How would I do something I cannot even remember? It makes no sense. "

"Humans call it muscle memory." Hyano said as she sat onto the couch, deciding that moving too much would make her head start to hurt more than the light sting she already had. "It is when a back part of your mind remembers but the rest of you doesn't, so it feels like it is just your body remembering for you. You remember. Or rather a small part of you does. Just subconsciously." She explained as she watched him, noting his confused and almost angry behavior. No wonder. He wasn't used to being in the dark and not having control over it. This was kind of interesting to watch, actually.

"But I don't understand..." Ren hissed sharply and shook his hooded head, stepping back from her this time, not even wanting to believe or acknowledge what all she said. "Why would my mind partially remember something so pointless and useless? Why doesn't it remember anything else, then?" He asked, beginning to feel frustrated and more confused than ever. For him this all simply didn't make sense. It doesn't mean that it does not in reality but this was how the curse he was plagued with worked. It clouded his mind and guided it what to truly consider and what to dismiss. And this one... he completely refused to believe. "Besides... I don't want to remember. I was weak, I was puny... petty... Now I am all that I ever wanted to be, and no little move will change that." The Nazgul paused and crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly, lifting his head in a dominant manner. "Ever." He added after a short pause, just to make a point.

"Heh... how would you know? Like you said, you don't remember." Hyano pointed out to the wraith. How could he ever know what it was he had wanted before now? As far as his mind cared, now was the only thing his mind cared about so that is all he thought he had ever wanted. She thought on the ring for a moment. It had infected the man, however its influence only worked based on the darkness in one's own heart... So what had been the kind hearted Ren's darkness? Was Ren right and all he had ever been was power-hungry? No... That wasn't true. Ren had hated anything to do with politics or power gain. No... It was far simpler. Trivial. Something no one would have ever realized was true darkness. His greed.

The Nazgul's hands formed into fists at her remark, making anger and frustration surface within his mind. How dare she question him and his desires! How would she know? Why would she know? Was she him? Did she see his mind and read his thoughts? Of course not. And he had enough of her insolence.

"I don't care." He hissed and took a step towards her, his body tensing with the anger he was holding back for now. "You don't know what I remember and what I don't! You have no idea what went through my mind when I accepted the lordship of the Dark Lord. I might not remember but neither did you look into my soul to see! You have no idea! You... don't... know... me." Each word he spoke was louder and uttered with frustration as he walked closer to her, pointing at her in the end. She doesn't know him. And never truly did.

"I trust in what you say and you said you don't remember." Hyano pointed out her eyes now on his finger. Those metal hands... She remembered when he got those now. Nearly ripped her stomach wide open by mistake more than once. "And the only thought you would have had was that 'I want it.' It has nothing to do with a want for power or anything else for that matter. You just had to want the ring itself and given your love for collecting that was more than easy." She explained to him. While he was angry, she seemed all too calm. Her mind was running through previous memories. She could remember so much from her first time with Ren... but the second was still such a blur. It was annoying really but maybe those memories would come after she went through all the first ones. Her mind backtracked to his comment about knowing him. "You know... I knew you quite well actually. The old you anyway. Can't say how well I knew you when we met with you like this, though, because that part of my life is still a haze to say the least. Though I've noticed there isn't much to know. Determined. A little head strong, a collector of anything that catches your eye, heavy as hell, loyal to the darkness to a fault, easily pissed off. Oh and prideful and willing to kill me if I fall out of line. Not much more I need, I don't think."

Ren tilted his hooded head to the side, stepping closer even more, his hands now falling behind his back, folding there as he approached her sitting form. He did not say a word at first, just observed her as if some kind of thoughts ran through his mind which he needed to ponder upon, as if there was something that held his comments back. Something about her. Or something about what she said. He did not seem angry, neither pleased, but he was not content either. There was something in the way he walked... The calculated steps... The slow pace and the way he turned his head. There was something he wanted and was curious about.

"Then tell me... If you know me so well and know that nothing stands between you and your death in your current situation because of your treachery... Why do you serve me still?" Ren asked finally. This was something he was always confused about. So many times did he try to kill her, he considers her as a betrayer and he never gave her the certainty of her keeping her own life for too long. He expressed his own neutrality about him dying right along. So what made her loyal in the end?

This one comment wasn't so far away from the very thoughts that the voice she spoke to wanted from her. It kept telling her the same things she just said. That there was no reason for her to stay at his side for the reasons she already voiced. Memories and bonds mean nothing to the wraith, especially if he was made to forget them... The past she cared about so much was ignored by him. And knowing his inability to return her feelings of friendship, along with his wish to kill her one day... yet she still keeps going...

Hyano looked into the darkness of Ren's hood. She considered the question. Why did she follow Ren through hell and back, despite knowing she would get nothing for it? The voice had practically asked this exact same question. She hadn't wanted to think about it so she did her best to drown it out. No chance of that now. Why? It was almost second nature really... but why? She thought about it, before a memory of her being dragged away from Ren came to mind. The way he stood there, his back turned to her, all clad in those dark clothes while the Grey wizard hauled her away by her robe. She could remember the exact words she uttered while she was fighting her tears which were flowing down her cheeks like a river…. The words where she promised she would do anything to help bring him back. She knew there was no chance of that but...

"Because it is an instinct. Why? I don't know but my mind and body both say to stay at your side no matter what." She replied honestly.

The Nazgul stared at her, halting his approach when she talked, revealing something he understood all too well. Instinct is powerful. That is what drives him to do the bidding of his Lord, even when he is no longer giving him orders. To conquer in His name... to kill without mercy, just because his mind and body tells him so. Because there is a voice... deep down... His own voice... that guides him to a purpose. A purpose which stands at a great contrast against the will of an istar. So he wondered... what kind of instinct would cause a wizard to follow him...? A wizard that was created to protect life and light... He doubted... even if for just a moment. Her gaze, her words, her tone and the determined position that Hyano displayed told him she was uttering the truth. But how can an istar say such truth?

"You are different." He hissed, tilting his dark hooded head to the other side, gazing at her, then stepped forward again. "There is a reason why I did not kill you in that storm..." He whispered as he leaned forward, his invisible gaze being eye-level with her green ones as his face neared hers. "There is a reason why I did not kill you that night... when I had the chance..." He trailed off and stopped. "Why?"

"If you don't know, what makes you think I do?" Hyano replied bluntly. She didn't know anymore than he did. She always figured it was their previous friendship that pushed her to save him that day but honestly now that she thought back on it... she had wanted to run. Her mind had told her he was not only dark but dangerous but she still acted oblivious to it and helped him anyway. But why?

"Because you are the one who is different." The wraith told her as if it was the most natural and logical reason to say. His mind assumed that if there is a pack of wargs and only one of them is born with no fur... He will not investigate why the others have fur... but will ask himself why the naked one lacks what the others have. He cannot make a research about why the wargs have fur... but only why that one has none. And right now... he had a furless warg in front of him. Figuratively speaking, of course. The wraith stopped his train of thoughts there and shook his head briefly, leaning away from the wizard. Why did his way of thinking make such ridiculous comparisons?

"I have read up on wraiths. You are not exactly the most normal of your kind. This means you are also the one who is odd." The girl pointed out honestly. Of course she had read books about his kind. They were the current modern horror story so even if she wanted to she wouldn't have been able to avoid hearing about them. However he didn't quite fit in any of the stories. He was considered emotionless yet at the same time he seemed to feel. His reactions and skills all suggested something other than what he was. "Sure it isn't you who is different?"

"I am everything my master wanted me to be!" The wraith shot back angrily, his voice sharp and furious, being in such a great contrast compared to the whispers from just a few moments before and stepped closer with a hiss. It was clear he did not tolerate any theories of a difference between what he is supposed to be and what people see in him. "I am dark, I am fearless, and I am terrifying! I kill without a second thought, I know no mercy! I only serve my Lord and nobody else. I accept no light... and will achieve His goals he set out for us." He hissed after each sentence and leaned closer with each word he spoke, irritated that she dared even saying that he was any different than what he was made to be. "What makes me so different, hmm? What makes you think I am not like my brethren?" He asked, although it was not really out of curiosity... It was more to see if she dared to continue this train of thoughts. But then again... he still had the bet to consider... He cannot kill her now... and not for two more days. But he will think about it again once his 'slavery' is over.

Hyano tilted her head, noting his anger. Something, she was told wraiths also couldn't feel. Or maybe it was one of the only emotions they could feel?

"If it were your brothers, would I still be breathing right now?" She countered his question with one of her own. She was of course curious if he knew why he still had yet to kill her. He had more than enough chances over the years so why wasn't she dead yet?

Ren stopped for a few minutes, pondering about her question as he leaned away from her again, humming silently. Would she be alive? Maybe... maybe not. This was not a question one can answer so easily. There were nine of them. Each serving the Dark Lord, doing his bidding without as much as a noise of doubt. They heard his whispers only, the chanting of the curse that was laid upon their rings. He would tell them what to do, where to go... And yet... how they went about their task was not instructed in detail. Each of them were Ringwraiths, each had the basic ferocious and murderous instincts... But... they had personalities. Maybe the fact that his Dark Lord did not whisper his desire to have her killed played a very significant part in this detail.

"There is no sure answer of what would have become of you. We were different in how we handled our tasks... Yet... we were the same. What makes me so unlike my brethren?" He repeated his question, wishing to see if she had any more ways to counter.

The wizard seemed to consider each word for a moment before he spoke up and asked her the same question again.

"Something must be. You are still 'alive' while they are not." She pointed out to him. As far as they knew, they were just as gone as his Lord and there was nothing that could be done about it.

Ren tilted his head to the side. So she is back to guessing, is she? He considered this argument won and from now on they are back to speculating. The thought of him being the only one who survived was an interesting one, though. He saw his brothers burn to ash in the flames of Mount Doom when it erupted, missing him by just mere inches. He was so close... yet so far from complete death. But what made him truly miss his own fate? Why did he end up falling behind? It wasn't that his fellbeast was too slow. No... He remembered... An eagle... A Great Eagle still chased him and grasped the tail of his flying steed, so he needed to slow down and yank it out of its talons by letting his beast claw at it. He sped up again, following his brothers... then watched as they were engulfed in flames...

"Pure luck... One of my enemies saved me from falling to the realm of the dead by wishing to kill me. This does not make me different." He hissed and averted his gaze from her.

"That or the same thing that pushed me to save you also saved you from destruction. Face it Ren. Something doesn't want you dead. Who or what? I don't know but I do know that in way makes you 'special.'" Hyano said as kicked off her heals before standing up. "Though, I guess I can answer your question. You are right. I am different from the other istari. I thought I might have told you this at some point but if you don't remember it then I might not have. I was not created like the others were. I was born. I did not have a purpose given to me. I have had to learn it slowly over time. I guess in a way you have become a part of my learning process and my purpose." She explained, deciding he was right in the end. She was different from the others and that difference may be why he was still 'alive.'

Ren listened to her explanation, staring at her from his position in front of the couch, hissing faintly once she revealed something he could not remember her ever sharing. The wraith shook his hooded head briefly, unsure what to think about this or to believe. But then again... she did not lie. Her gaze, her heartbeat and smell told him this. She was saying the truth or at least the truth she believes in to be true. There were many things he imagined to be real... only to find out later that all of it was a lie. Who knows...? So she was not created like the rest? Taken from Valinor to fulfill her purpose to guard the world? This was interesting...

"Born?" The wraith of course made sure to ask, seeing he did not quite understand this term. He knew what born could mean. Orcs are born from spawn pits, Balrogs were born from Maiar with the help of darkness, shadow, and flames. But that is the same as creation, no? Or was there a difference he did not see? Hence why he decided to ask. She handled it to be quite different, seeing she said she had to learn everything from the very start. He was a Nazgul... he did not understand the functions of the living. He didn't even know still what children are and how they came to be. Well, Hyano did try to explain a few times already but his mind simply couldn't grasp it. It seemed so... unlikely.

Oh great. This one again. No matter how she explained it he just didn't seem to understand. The istar stopped to consider it, to try and figure out a way to make him understand.

"Unlike the other wizards who came into being as full grown adults, the old men they are well known for, I was born much smaller and with very little to no knowledge at all. I had to learn with age and time. How this happens is... two people put their structures together. Say... if we did. Just hypothetical of course. But if we did, when they mixed we would create a new being. A small one that would be part wraith and part wizard. In that it would be an infant and not able to take care of itself at first but by the time it grew up it would have a mix of both our skills and abilities." She explained as best she could to him.

The wraith stared at her. But because he had no visible face, one couldn't tell what exactly was running through his mind at the explanation, no expressions to indicate towards his thoughts. Did he even understand? Did anything dawn on him? From the many explanations she tried to use, this one seemed to be the most detailed.

"I have lost your trail of thoughts at 'putting structures together'." Ren admitted, tilting his hooded head to the side in confusion, and mild curiosity towards the subject. "How can you put structures together?" He asked, already having gotten stuck at that phrase she used, probably having not even listened to anything else she said in favor of pondering about it. He averted his invisible gaze from her and searched the room for just a moment, then stepped to the side and grasped the phone she gave him a few days ago, which he basically pulled apart to look at the inner workings. Some of its bits were loose and only were attached to the device by a single thin cord. The Nazgul pointed a metallic finger at it. "It has a structure. And yes, I can probably take bits of it and put it..." He trailed off with a hiss, his gaze once again wandering until he just nodded towards the television. "...into the black box. So it would gain new traits. But this does not work with the living." The wraith explained and returned to look at her. "If I rip off the arm of an orc and attach it to a human... it will not be a new creature... So how could you put structures of living beings together to make a new creature and make it be... born as a weak and stupid creature?" He... obviously didn't understand...

Hyano face palmed.

"... Ren... Until you see someone born I honestly doubt you will EVER understand this." She said honestly. She had tried millions of times to explain this and she was sure there were millions of times added onto that… she didn't even remember. "Ugh... you know what, I'm going to bed. Today has been too damn much and I don't really care anymore." She grumbled as she turned to head towards her room to just pass out.

But she won't be able to get away with it so easily. The dark cloaked wraith appeared right in front of her as soon as she made a step towards the stairs to get to her room, stopping her.

"No." He said firmly, his determined and authoritative tone was accompanied by a sharp hiss, attempting to make a point. "I want to know." He hissed again, stepping towards her, trying to force her away from her desired path. "This could be the answer to our army problem." He said, thinking of this... 'putting structures together' as the solution. Something easy and quick... Even if the result will be something small and low in intelligence... It will grow and become smarter. Just like her. He could assemble an army of man and other creatures this way... At least... this is what his mind told him and as usual, sometimes it misunderstood information and gave him ideas that won't always work. But one cannot blame him. He was not used to working with his own mind...

The orange wizard raised a tired and annoyed brow at him. Seriously?

"Not without a base army, it won't and you have to have one of each sex to do it... A male and female. The process takes a certain amount of time and raising the infant takes even longer. We may get an army eventually that way but it would take at least one hundred to two hundred years if not longer and we won't have that long in this world to do that. We will eventually have to move to the next in order to survive." She said, deciding to nip this one in the bud before he could think too much on it. "Besides, breeding without a certain number of 'participants' will end in inbreeding which will cause massive problems for the resulting infants. You can't mix the same structures too often or else they will start to deteriorate and just create problems more than soldiers." She added, knowing enough about this to know it wouldn't work no matter how he flipped it. At least not now, anyway.

"But this is how the world started." The wraith reasoned, confused about the idea of causing more problems if life started this way on Middle-Earth. At least... there was no other way, right? "There were few, then they became more... and they all came from a base number. So why would it fail now?" He wondered, not understanding the problem. If anything, he thought using the same structure all the time would only strengthen it... Just like how two wargs with the strongest traits would create a pack. Isn't that mixing the same structures many times?

"Trust me. Doesn't work the same and it is a very bad idea." Hyano said waving him off. "Take... the phone you have there." She said, nodding to it. "If you take another phone and combine their parts you won't get a double phone or a better phone. The parts will simply mix and in the end scramble each other into a mess. It is the same with the structures of people. It doesn't happen quite as drastically but it is the same. Besides, as I said, we don't have the time. I doubt we will be here much longer to be honest so there is very little need to be making future plans of any kind." She explained before shaking her head. "Now, out of my way and leave me alone until midday tomorrow at least. I am going to bed." She said, making sure to phrase it as an order so he would have no choice in the matter, then attempted to get around him again and go to her room.

Ren stepped into her way again stubbornly but did not do anything else, letting her pass soon enough without a word. He gave his word he would do as she said for three days... So here it is... She better takes great care to enjoy this time because she will not get another chance... The wraith hissed and moved away once her form disappeared in her room and the door to it shut, telling the Nazgul that the night is his. After a short meditation, of course. He sat down on the couch and reached over to the remote, poking the red button on it to switch the black box on, satisfied that the channel was where he left it. Meditation can wait for now... he had to take his mind off of what was said but the relief was short-lived because his invisible gaze would always find the phone. In the end he reached over and enclosed the ruined item in his metallic grip, pulling it closer and observing it with interest.

Putting structures together... Hmm...

_-Few hours later-_

He thought on what to do though, since Hyano was still asleep they surely won't go about the planned events this early... or late. The sun didn't yet rise. Still had at least four hours until then. After a short pondering, his mind finally came up with the best solution to his current issue. He had his own task, his very first self-given quest.

Get the bouncy ball from under the couch!

The Nazgul stood from the couch and stopped in front of it, remembering how it has slipped under it not long ago, his invisible gaze targeting said furniture. Now the question... How to go about it? He crossed his arms first and tapped his gauntlet with an armored finger, before bending down and going on all fours, peering under the couch. And there it was. Sitting safely and comfortably under it. Just out of reach... His fingers aren't as long. Hissing, he sat up and thought for a moment, before deciding he might try to lift the couch. Nodding to himself, the wraith tried lifting it with a hand but seeing it was still too heavy, he put the other as well into use and managed to raise the furniture a little, only to be met with another problem. How will he get the ball from under it? He put the couch down with an annoyed hiss and stood, once more lifted that side of the couch and using a foot he kicked the ball away, watching as it bounced. His wraith hunting instincts woke up very quickly and not even caring about the noise he caused he let the couch fall back into place with a heavy thud and threw himself after the ball without a second thought.

The wizard jumped when she heard a loud thud even upstairs. She grumbled something under her breath, then sat up. She cracked her neck and back before standing up and looking around. She was half asleep and kind of expected to have fallen asleep net to Ren, but as she woke up more, she instantly realized where the bang noise came from.

"Oh Valar, please let my house still be in one piece." She mumbled as she walked down the stairs to the living room and was nearly knocked down by a black blur in chase of a bouncing one. "The hell?" She said as she looked after them, then realized what was going on and giggled. "Crazy bugger." She shrugged and walked about a bit, directing her gaze for a moment downstairs towards his item hoard to make sure that area was still intact too. She might need to sneak in later and get back some of the necessary items he took from her.

Ren didn't even notice her. Instead, he kept chasing that insolent ball which didn't want to stop for his commanding hisses. He still believed that it was a living thing, wanting to escape, which added to his hunting experience. It didn't take long for him to land with a thud on the floor, successfully catching the bouncy ball within his grip, only to have it slip away on impact, sped up and bouncing away happily. The Nazgul hissed in annoyance and gave chase, calculating the ball's direction and distance he threw himself forward over the couch where the ball vanished at and stayed there for a few seconds, unmoving. Hissing in triumph he held up the ball and started flipping, poking, rolling it in his palm as if mocking it, then simply threw it across the room again. Once more he waited for it to slow down slightly before going after it. To the dismay of the wizard... the ball changed directions after bouncing off of the wall and bounced right at her...

Hyano laughed as she watched him play, finding it completely hilarious. He was so easy to make happy. Then, without warning the ball went for her. She instantly thought a number of curse words as it hit her chest getting stuck there thanks to the stickiness of it before she was slammed by a hunting wraith. If only she had been smart enough to move away from the basement door before this. She yelped as she felt herself lose her balance falling backwards. _'Oh this is going to hurt._' She thought, closing her eyes.

Ren didn't even pay attention to where he was going... ehm... running or jumping. His concentration was strictly on the ball but then again... being a wraith with a spectral body... he didn't need to watch his step he didn't get hurt by any falls or if he kicked anything. The Nazgul gave a surprised shriek once he felt he slammed into something and started falling but that didn't mean he didn't have the bouncy ball in the center of his attention. Hyano had luck two times at the fall. One was that the force of the slam was so great that they didn't fall against the stairs but right down towards the floor of the basement. Her second luck was that Ren was even now desperate to get the ball and while they fell they rolled, thus exchanging their position. In the end they landed with a heavy thud, sliding along the floor a little before they stopped. Well... Ren stopped. The wizard landed on top of him. But even now Ren grasped after the ball which bounced off of Hyano by the force and held it in his grip with a victorious hiss.

Hyano grumbled something under her breath.

"Ren... you are a very heavy son of warg." She said, glad she had some kind of luck coming out of this but that did not stop the original hit from hurting at all. She got up off of him and flipped onto her back. She looked at his little victory and rolled her eyes. All this is because she introduced him to that ball. Deep within her thoughts it kind of felt relieving, to see him so attached to the ball… This proved her point to the voice before… While sometimes Ren would lose interest, he would never truly part with the item, no matter what. Oh well. It was fun to watch him chase it. Speaking of... She reached up and snatched up the ball then tossed it again, sending the object flying. She didn't care if it ticked him off. She was in the mood to play now.

Ren didn't hear her, was too engulfed in his little victory, only stopping and being aware of her presence again once she took the ball from his hand. He stopped what he was doing and slowly turned his hooded head towards her just in time to see as she threw it. He stared in the direction where it went for a good ten seconds before his invisible gaze landed on her again.

"My ball..." He whispered, almost complaining but also slightly threateningly. Well... her luck must have run out now... The wraith's attention was now on her instead the bouncy ball. Slowly, Ren leaned forward and with a scolding hiss he poked her side once... then twice.

The wizard didn't figure out what he was planning... until he did it, then she broke into a fit of laughter and tried to get away from him.

"Oh no! That so isn't fair!" She yelled as she tried to get up and run. "And who said that was your ball? You never said anything about you owning the ball." She pointed out through her laughter. She knew he had a tendency of taking things whether they were his or not but she never really bothered to call him on it until now. She found the whole thing rather funny, actually.

She is trying to run? No such thing will happen on his watch! As she tried to pull away Ren grasped her arm while his other tried to get a grip of her waist. Once done, he quickly went and straddled her waist, making sure to put in some weight so now he had both his hands free for the assault.

"I own this territory. Everything is mine." He mocked her and started poking her where he could reach her. Oh, the feeling of revenge... not only for the ball... but for yesterday as well.

Hyano laughed and wiggled before trying to catch his hands, trying to resist his attacks now.

"Gah! The hell you do! Haha! I bought this 'territory' fair and square." She told him between giggles as she tried to resist him. Why after all these years was she still ticklish? One would think after so many years she would have grown out of this somehow.

"No! I own everything that is yours!" The Nazgul argued right back, pulling his hand away when she almost caught it and tried another angle to her side, poking it again and again. "And you wiggle and fight like this, I will flip you on your stomach. Do not resist my power!" He chuckled and went to poke her stomach then her side, trying to dodge her hands as they flailed around and tried to get a hold of his.

"Haha... Th-that is not fair... Y-you didn't even have to work for it!" The orange istar told him, then she put her arms at her sides and tried to resist the tickling sensation as much as possible. She tried to hold in her laughter and not move. This lasted all of five seconds before she broke out laughing again, arching her back away from him and tried to kick him away. "That isn't fair either! I can't help it!" She yelled as she laughed.

"I worked for it!" Ren hissed as she fought against him and shook his hooded head. She is actually fighting him now... Time to punish. He decided to roll her onto her stomach so she will be basically immobilized while he can unleash his 'power' and tickle her until she gives up completely... however he misjudged the force he tried to apply to the flip. Soon enough his fantastic sense of balance showed itself and while he actually managed to flip her, he fell to the side at the same time.

Smooth move, Ren... smooth move...

Hyano yelped as she was flipped and was ready for another bout of torturing but was pleased to see her mate's lack of balance worked in her favor. She laughed when she saw him fall over and quickly jumped up.

"What the hell did you do to work for this?" She asked as she took off up the stairs. They were having a mix of an argument and play time. A rather odd way to kill time but considering they were an odd pair it made sense.

The wraith hissed and quickly stood up, taking off after her, running up the stairs.

"Trust me, I have worked for it hard. Now stay still." He commanded as if he actually expected her to do as he said and chased her all over the living room, coming up once more to the couch, both of them standing on either side of the furniture. He tried moving to the left and catch her but already knew this won't be exactly that easy... She was of course smart and faster than him... He will need a plan...

"Like hell I am!" The wizard yelled back as she ducked and dodged him until she was across from him at the couch. "And if your definition of 'work' is coming in and saying 'this is mine', then you are a very lazy wraith." She added with a smirk. He was right, she wasn't about to make things that easy on him. For every move he made she moved to avoid him. She remembered the last time this happened and he straight up jumped the couch. She would not be caught off guard by that twice.

"Yes. I worked for it because I exist. And as your superior, this is all mine." The Ringwraith shot right back and made a few rounds around the couch with her next before stopping once more. He was actually thinking of jumping over again, seeing he was in the right position, however he saw her gaze and something told him she expected it. Well... to the Void with it. He can try his luck. Again, he moved and swiftly jumped over the couch, trying to get her once again this way. Maybe he will be lucky and will be able to catch her but something told him his luck simply isn't as satisfying today.

As he expected, that wasn't happening. Hyano dodged him, then was nice enough to use his bad balance against him, leaving her foot out to trip him before taking off running again.

"To hell with that! You hate me anyway!" She yelled back at him as she ran to the kitchen this time.

Ren shrieked in surprise as he fell, having maybe predicted that his move won't be successful but also falling wasn't on his list of planned activities today. He actually did trip and fell face-first on the floor, rolling a little to his side. Hissing, he eventually stood and paused, he tried to determine where she ran off to. He didn't see her vanish anywhere. Sniffing, he picked up her scent and ran right at the kitchen.

"I hate the sunlight, the light spells and..." He stopped as he entered the kitchen, seeing her but backed out soon after as if it was full with sunlight. "... and this stench of those things you made..." He spat and backed away more.

Hyano laughed a little walking towards the door keeping a distance on purpose so if he wanted to get her he would have to come into the light.

"Like I said, you hate me." She repeated. She seemed to believe her words as her hands went into her pockets. It's not like he didn't act like he hated her. He had already tried to kill her for crying out loud. What more proof did she really need? She had no reason to really believe any differently so she chose not to.

The Nazgul hissed as she seemed to use this to her advantage and didn't come closer. The wraith attempted to go near her again, only to shake his head and just turned around. All this sugar... all these ingredients... it hurt his senses... like... burned it. So, he was forced to watch her from a distance, pacing as he tried to find a way to get to her. Hyano's repeated 'conclusion' about what he thought of her actually made him think a little. Did he hate her? Well... he certainly didn't trust her and disliked her many times she did something foolish or questioned his words and decisions. But hating? No. If he hated her she wouldn't be here now asking this.

"You are alive. So most certainly not." He answered in his own way, crossing his arms, trying to not sound and look too much like a mortal confessing. He was a stoic and terrifying wraith. A wraith with superior powers.

The woman raised a brow. Was he saying he didn't hate her?

"You did try to kill me already." She pointed out simply. She did move closer to him slightly but she was not stupid enough to get too close. She did have enough brainpower to know better. But she smiled a little. To her the 'terrifying wraith' was hardly that scary. She just found him funny to watch as he tried to look scary. She didn't remember ever being afraid of Ren. Confused... oh yes. The first few months together were horrible; trying to figure out a wraith who can't speak a lick of the common tongue is rather hard to say the least.

Ren tilted his head to the side at her claim. Well yes, he did try to kill her, not only once at that. He planned and plotted for many days and weeks until he found out she was simply too much use for him. The main use is that she can transfer her energy to him and his meditation can be satisfying and short. He will have to see if she actually will bring him to the new world and would support his goal of dominating it. He wondered if she would help him establish an army... Like in Moria. Then, he will not regret his choice.

"Indeed but you are too much use to me now." He said honestly, not at all hiding his reasons behind his newer choice of actions. He wasn't one to hide his intentions and always said the truth. He can't change that one.

"Yes... I know. I wouldn't expect anything less..." Hyano said, her smile becoming a little sad. She turned her head to look at the time and decided their game was done for now. She stepped into the living room but made no move like she was going to outrun him anymore. "I'm going to take a shower real quick, then we can go back to the shop to get ready for tonight." She told him simply, deciding it was wise to let him know what was going on.

The wraith didn't notice much about her expressions, having been out of practice for a very long time but something told him this wasn't the answer she was expecting. Then what did she expect? That he still wanted to kill her? That would be a lie... Or... that he never wanted to kill her? Now that would be another lie. Shaking his head in disbelief, the wraith didn't move either to try and catch her but listened to what she said and sighed, his hands both falling from their previous position and his shoulders slumped, knowing that the chase is over and today's horror will begin. Here they go again... But he just couldn't help but stick out a hand and poke her side quickly as she passed him, then went off quickly to find his bouncy ball. Where did that thing go...?

Hyano giggled lightly as he tickled her when she passed him. She smiled after him as he took off, then went to clean up. As she did, she thought about what she did expect from the wraith. At some point she expected him to adapt, to move on and realize that things were no longer as they were. He seemed to be stuck in the past and this was hurting him to a point. Even in the new world he would have to learn to change. He would need to start learning to understand those around him. As she got out, she sighed. She also realized she kept expecting some sign of someone who was no longer there... Though, he was just as playful… 'he' was not there and it was hurting her to keep thinking about it. She shook her head, then quickly changed and went down stairs to start taking the food to the car, knowing Ren wouldn't be able to do it.

In the mean time all these thoughts didn't even cross the wraith's mind. Instead Ren was doing his own thing, which mainly consisted of chasing the ball mindlessly, even crashing into the couch many times, once even making it fall backwards with the force. However, he had as much 'care' as to put it back... the reason being that the ball was stuck under it. After a while -after five minutes- he eventually lost interest in it and put it on the table, remembering suddenly his fake cat. He went down to the basement and looked around, searching for a few minutes until he found it. Now with it in his possession Ren resumed to go to the living room and took the remote, switching on the black box to watch his show for a little while. He surely still has a few minutes... No?

It took Hyano a few minutes to put everything in the car. She stuck an air freshener in the car, knowing that would be Ren's only defense from all the sweets in the trunk before going inside. She was greeted by the sounds of screaming.

"Huh?" She blinked, then walked into the living room. "Oh... I forgot you liked this show." She admitted, half expecting to find another dead body in here. She looked around before tugging on Ren's sleeve. "You ready?"

The Nazgul didn't even notice her at first, watching the killer cartoon with the fake cat in his hands, chuckling once when a character was ripped in half. Slowly. Oh, the blood and the screams. Music to his ears. Only then did he look at her when she spoke. At this point... he wasn't exactly sure if he wanted to part with his entertainment. He watched her, then gazed at the black box, once more he looked at her then at the black box as if he wasn't sure which to choose.

"No?" He asked, deciding he might not want to leave the black box for a few more episodes.

Hyano could not help but laugh at this.

"Fine. One more episode. Oh! I forgot. Do you mind if I do something to you for tonight. I promise it won't change your looks or anything. It is just one thing and it will hopefully help you enjoy the holiday a bit more." She said sheepishly, hoping he would say yes and not ask into it too much. It would be harder to convince him the more he asked about it.

Content that he can stay a little longer, the Nazgul settled more comfortably on the couch and resumed watching the show. Though he wanted to watch more episodes than one... Oh well, when they come back he will just resume. However, when she revealed that she wished to change his appearance, Ren's gaze snapped to her instantly and stared at her long and hard. Didn't they make a deal that their appearance cannot be changed in any shape, way or form? He can clearly remember that. Why can't she?

"What would this change be?" He asked, tilting his hooded head to the side in curiosity, wanting to know more about it.

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**Aaaaaannnnnddd…. Cut!**

**We wonder what you guys think she wants to change on him!**

**Please read and review!**

_CA Productions_


	9. Halloween

**So, here is a new chapter for our Dear Readers.**

**We hope you enjoy it. Although... we are a bit late for Halloween...**

_CA Productions_

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Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Chapter 9 - Halloween

This is bad…. Very bad….

That was the first thing that the Nazgul was thinking about as he was forced in the backseat of the car that Hyano was now driving back to her shop which he decorated last evening. His pride in that particular success was long forgotten, his argument with her last night was also faded and yet he still sits in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest, his body basically slumped into the seat and his position could tell anyone about his irritation and high annoyance at the idea that his mate apparently found good one. Which will ensure that… -as she put it- 'he can enjoy the holiday to the fullest'.

Does his posture and his current mood tell her that he enjoys it now? No… It does not.

When she told him she will change something on him and he expressed his curiosity it isn't the same as giving permission for her to do this 'altering' at all. Alright, maybe she won the bet and yes she apparently has the choice and the right to make him do anything she wanted but... this was absurd. The wraith despised the situation with his entire mind and hoped she feels the bad vibes he was sending towards her. If he could glare... he would do it now the entire journey.

So here he sat, all tied in with the seatbelt in the size of a small child. He looked so small in the seat, his feet were dangling down, unable to get a firm hold of the ground, not even get close to it. He looked like a pouting child who didn't get what he wanted and didn't get to go as the creature he wanted to be. This might be the impression of anyone who saw them as they drove. Well, at least she didn't make him change his clothing… He still had the same -shrunken- dark cloak and grey gear he always wore. But still... This was bruising his pride. This surely goes beyond what he thought the bet would be about…

Through the journey there was silence at first, clearly she enabled him to process the happenings and calm down his fuming self before any conversation could be started. The music he was curious about the day before was playing in the background on a mild volume to not disturb his train of thoughts. Ren could hold a grudge for as long as he existed but Hyano knew all too well that he needed her to survive anyway, so he will let up one way or another… She wasn't all too mistaken about that...

"And... what is the fun in this again?" He asked, averting his invisible gaze from her stubbornly. His voice also changed, something was furious about. Now it was all too high-pitched much to the entertainment of the orange wizard. Whenever he spoke up and demanded her to change him back, she would burst out laughing and roll on the floor until she calmed down, only to start again when he repeated the demand. It took them a while, but she explained Halloween to him a bit while he tried to get away from her magic as best as he could. She told him about the spirit of Halloween, about sweets, and about the haunting through the town... How things look... the point isn't to scare the people like he would or... make them scream in pain, remove body parts... so...

"It is called Trick or Treating." The wizard replied, not even missing a beat as she drove, her gaze only briefly flickering from the road to him in her rear-view mirror. She was already expecting the question from him. There was a small change in her expressions, though... She still needed to completely get used to his childish tone. "Way back during Halloween if you wanted children to not prank your house, you would give them a treat instead. Hence the name. Nowadays, most people don't do that anymore but the point is basically the same. Most adults try to make their houses look as scary as they can to give the children a fright. That is why I asked you to make the shop look as scary as possible." She replied with a smile.

The wraith shrugged, still not convinced.

"But what would be the fun for me? I don't get to scare the soul out of them or kill them... They won't start running... I can't hunt." He reasoned, leaning back against his seat. He never wanted to be made to a dwarf just to go and ask for things he hated anyway... He despised sweets...

"Because you get free things and you don't have to do a thing for it. Also, since you will be the smaller one for once I will be the one holding and carrying you around instead of vice versa. Come on. I'm offering to spoil you for a day despite our deal. It won't be that bad. I promise." She argued, kind of finding his reasoning funny and exaggerated thanks to his small size and thin voice, then smiled. "Also, if a house happens to really anger you, you can prank it. That gets to be a lot of fun depending on what you decide to do." She said with a giggle.

Ren hummed. The thought of actually being served despite their deal was a nice charmer... It made him stop and think but... Still... He still thought it as offending to be reduced to a dwarf and being handled like one as well. He didn't need to be babied, let alone need any help. If he needed something he got it for free no matter where he went. He didn't need a... holiday for that.

"How about you shrink your own size and go do this? I don't want to..." He said, finding no reason to do it still. No way will he reduce himself to such a thing and he still didn't have any use for all those things he might get from the houses. If she wanted it so much then why doesn't she go and participate. He could just sit in his territory all day... and watch his show. "Do you mean pranks like... killing them? Making them scream in terror? Can I destroy their house and smear it with their blood?" He asked, now finding interest in the second part of what she said. Well... he can make it interesting for himself if he wanted. But then again... unlike most, he would be only disappointed if he got to get something and didn't get the opportunity to cause terror...

Hyano facepalmed.

"No. I already told you, no killing or hurting. The point of a prank is to cause them trouble and make them regret what they did. If they don't live they can't exactly regret anything. Mostly what children do is trash the house in one way or another." She said, not about to take the time to explain T-Ping that would just be too long. "I guess I could do it but I figured since this was your first holiday I would give you the option. I thought you might have more fun that way instead of having to follow me around as my parent tonight."

"They regret in the last second of their lives..." The Nazgul hissed, shaking his head, not at all liking what he was hearing. "Can't I just stay back in my territory and you go off?" He suggested, although he knew there is a very small chance she would change her mind... They are already halfway there... For one, he didn't want to go door to door and ask for anything, be disappointed that he cannot cause any harm and he was more than sure no one wants to be pranked so will give the dwarves what they want, including him. And he also was more than sure she can protect herself so why did he need to follow her anyway? He can just sit around all day while she has 'fun'.

"No" Hyano said bluntly her gaze flickering towards his mirrored form. "One way or another you are joining me tonight. So you can either be a part of the fun or be bored." She said simply, showing him he really had very little choice in the matter.

The response to this comment was a furious hiss and the Nazgul just crossed his arms even more firmly, giving the impression of a very spoiled child who didn't get the toy he wanted. He knew there was no way out... He liked it or not... he will have to suffer through the day... And what made it worse, there was a stench in the car which made him far more irritable. It was the sweets that Hyano made last evening for today's events. She packed them in before they went off. And while there was an air-freshener within the car, a small green item she placed in beside the wheel, it helped only little for the sharp nose of the dark creature. When they moved to the car this morning, and the moment the door opened the slightly hot and sweet-strange air hit him in the face, basically blocking his sense of smell and all his coordination. Hissing and shrieking at the same time, the Nazgul backed away from the door, only forgetting that he still had a grip on the door, so he ended up actually backing towards the end of the car where he crashed against it and slid down towards the ground. That was not the best experience he had and what was more, the wizard was laughing at him... The wraith hissed as he remembered all this and shook his head in irritation.

"I can't stand the stench." He finally argued, directing his invisible gaze forward towards her. Today, he will make sure to complain about the smallest things he can find, just to make a point.

Hyano raised a brow, then reached over and grabbed the air freshener, then tossed it.

"Alright. It isn't in there. Anymore complaints?" She asked him, her green gaze meeting his invisible one through the rear-view mirror. The thing was like 10 cents by itself. Normally they came in packs getting to at most a dollar. Not that bad. She will not cry over it.

Ren watched as she reached aside, grabbing the green thing, then tossed it out of the car. His gaze wandered back to her and stared at her as if she grew an extra head all of a sudden.

"I... wasn't talking about that tiny thing." He corrected and glanced at the back of the car where the sweets were packed. Not in a million years will he suffer the whole way in that stench. Deal or not, he wanted intact senses...

The wizard thought a moment about this, then pointed to the window next to his seat.

"You can stick your head out the window if the smell gets bad enough." She replied, figuring he might like riding that way anyway. It was something different. Dogs liked to feel the air brush against their head and mouth while they rode, so why not the almost identically behaving wraith? "Either that or I'm tying you down to the roof. Your choice." She said with a shrug.

The stench is basically everywhere in the car... How will opening windows help him in any way? He can't just stop his senses from working either. Unlike humans, a wraith cannot 'breathe through his mouth'. They automatically scent the air wherever they are. This making them good hunters of course but sometimes it can be a curse... Like now. Sighing, the wraith didn't say a word just slumped his shoulders. It was a sign that he wasn't too keen to do any of this and just wanted to vanish from this world right now. He simply didn't want to do anything today...

Hyano couldn't help giving the wraith a sympathetic look. She honestly hoped that once he saw what today was all about he would find some interest in it. She shook her head and pressed a button next to the wheel, this way opening the windows at the back, letting the air do the rest. It made the car rather windy but it did help relieve the smell to a degree. As she drove she turned on the music more, hoping that would calm him as well until they got to their location. Hyano raised a brow as already she saw people dressed up for tonight. Technically, tonight was for children but it was easy to see adults loved to still dress up seeing so many were already dressed for who knows how many parties tonight.

Ren tried to not smell. He tried not to use his senses but of course with them being automatic, it was impossible. He hissed every once in a while and shook his head rapidly as the stench got worse with each second. He had a sharp nose which backfired in this case, making it impossible for him to exist in this air. He didn't pay attention to anything at all in the outside until he had enough and took her advice, sticking his head out of the car by just ripping at the seatbelt until it came off. Instantly he was blown by the fresh wind which calmed him and together with the faint music it wasn't so bad anymore. Also he didn't find the ride strange anymore. Since he was used to the wind when he moved -on fellbeast or horse- it didn't cause him any trouble to have it blow into his invisible face. What was strange so far with this car was that there was no wind when he moved so fast. Now it was better. He actually felt it was entertaining to see all those vibrant lights go past them so fast, blurring. Like the bouncy ball. This was also when he noticed all the people in strange dresses he never saw before. Once they stopped at a red light he tilted his head to the side when a dwarf walked past... with a white blanked draped over him. What? Why? He couldn't find a reason for that. The child ahem... dwarf only stared back at him and smiled, complimenting on his 'costume'. This baffled the Nazgul... Wasn't he afraid or staring at him in a strange manner? He looked around more and noticed some almost believable dress-ups.

"I bet they are fake..." He commented almost in disappointment when some more walked past, some almost dressed like him, others like different monsters even some were very close to how the orcs looked. He just realized he missed all this. When things weren't fake and he knew what he was up against. The diversity of races... the sight of orcs, trolls, wargs... The scent of them... The darkness. Not just the night but the darkness of his Lord... He hissed.

Hyano smiled as he noticed the dress ups. She however also heard the disappointment in his voice as he said they were fake.

"They are. But you should feel some kind of compliment. Many of these costumes are based on you and your kin. Since today is about dressing up as some of the scariest creatures you can, that must make you feel at least a little good." She said a little hopefully. As she started to drive again one wraith dressed person was actually dressed almost exactly like one of Ren's brothers, the hood of his cape was dark enough to make his face was unseen.

"But they are still fake..." The Nazgul repeated and watched as someone dressed like one of his kind passed them. For a moment his mind actually made him believe it was one of them and gave a greeting hiss at them, feeling suddenly hopeful and directed all his attention to them only to realize they did not reply... They didn't understand. Of course. How could he be so foolish...? They lacked the aura... But after so long of not seeing his brothers, his mind was playing tricks on him already? One of the basic rules is to look for the aura before nearing such a person. They knew about disguises of course and never fell for them... Until now. The wraith gave a disappointed hiss and sat back in his seat, directing his gaze forward, not even wanting to watch the many fake wraiths. They weren't his brothers, not his kind. How dare they use the look of such respected and mighty creatures for something like a dress-up!

"That is because the time of our kind is over here... You can't expect to see anything but fake. However, seeing our stories is still nice." The orange wizard said honestly. He was not the only one who was without anyone. It had been a very long time since she last saw another istar. She honestly wanted more than anything to see Gandalf. It was one of the few things that made her happy to leave for the new world. "Oh, we will be having a few guests that are... partly magic today. They won't be visiting long. Mostly they are just here to give their greetings, then say good bye." She added.

The wraith tilted his head to the side and gazed at her, shaking his head briefly.

"Partly magic? What do you mean?" He asked, suddenly finding interest in the subject. So, are there other beings like them here still? Beings that aren't fake? He wondered if his thoughts are correct or not. He was already getting excited about this and wanted nothing more than being surrounded by creatures he knew what they are and how to handle them. Once more he looked out the window to see more dressed-up people. One of them was wrapped in some kind of... cloth or paper from head to toe. He wondered what that was, so watched the person until they went out of sight. Interesting dresses indeed. He just wished he knew what half of these things resembled...

Hyano noticed what he was looking at out of the corner of her eye and snickered. Explaining to him what a mummy was would take a long time. There were no such things in their time. Not that they know of anyway. She thought about his question and how to best explain it.

"You remember tree herders, yes? They are descendants of them. Any of the original tree herders became still long ago. Most are not even alive, however there was one or two that still lived but could not move or speak anymore. They were as good as trees now. However the tree herders that had once turned into human-like beings had children and so on." She explained. That was a long line of course and some of them forgot what they once were but there were still a few that remembered and believed in the old ways and came to see her regularly... Now that they knew she was leaving soon, this would be the last time she saw them but there was no guarantee they would remember anything in the years to come.

Tree herders? He could barely remember what they were. Those... big moving trees? They are also no more? They weren't even such complex creatures...

"Will they try to kill me?" He asked almost in a bored tone. He was by now used to having people on his trail wanting to beat him up only to die or he was told to hide in order to not be seen by Hyano's rare visitors. Honestly, he was starting to be fed up by all this. He was a Nazgul, the most dangerous being on this world, so why can't people respect his power and bow to his will? They can't kill him or hurt him... He hissed and kept staring outside, tilting his head again once another dwarf waved at him. What in the name of...

Hyano only giggled.

"No. I don't think so. They have never even seen your kind so I doubt they will know what to do with you at first. They may be a little scared and angry but they will know better than to mess with you if I tell them not to." She said, not seeming worried in the slightest. She finally was able to park and raised a brow when she saw a few cars already there. Her worker was not due there yet so it was likely her company came here a little early. "Try and be good, though." She said with a giggle, doubting such a thing will happen.

So much for having fun with scaring anything today. Actually he planned to chase them right off from the shop, being in no mood to mess with anyone and hoped dearly they will truly not mess around with him. They touch him in his current mood, he will plunge his sword right through their belly.

"Do I have to?" The wraith asked her curiously before noticing the excess amount of other cars in front of the shop. He leaned forward in his seat to look at them. They were of course completely different than this one. But what more is the difference... maybe he should pull them apart and see...

Hyano parked and got out of the car. She got out and popped the trunk open so she could get the food when she needed to.

"Let's go on in. I will get the food in a minute." She said, waving for him to follow her. She of course ignored his question, figuring she didn't really need to answer it, then stepped inside and of course there were a few people.

Ren hissed once and after successfully climbing out of the car he followed the orange wizard to her shop. To say the least... walking while being so short was not his best idea today. His legs were not as long, which caused him to trip a few times, seeing he had to raise his feet a bit higher than usual to walk properly. He needed to quicken his steps if he wanted to keep up with his companion as well. The wraith did not like it one bit... He grumbled to himself as they made it to the door and successfully tripped at the doorway, almost falling forward but he moved his other foot swiftly enough to hold his quick descend. He shook his head with a small sound, then finally looked at the... unusual creatures within his other territory.

They were just a few of the whole population of their kind of course. Hyano would hate having that many of them here at once. In the room there were a total of four. A male, a female, and a small female child who was running around the store, looking at everything while her mother followed to keep her out of trouble. While they were descendants of the altered tree herders of old, they looked nothing like them anymore. They resembled humans now due to many generations and mingling with humans for ages, although they all kept the characteristics of their ancestor. This specific family was descended from Razorleaf, so kept his name as their family and clan name. They were robust and tall, just as him in the past. The males were also adorned with large muscles to counter the lack of strong bark and branches but they were silent, rarely speaking at all, while also were highly protective of their family. Their voices are too deep, so instead they communicate mainly through the smallest twitches and movements of their body. The females of course were far more social and did the talking; they were less muscled, leaner but were strong as well. All ent people also had some things in common. Like the thick dark skin and the thick dreadlocks as hair. They also weighted a lot more than Man. They also seemed to resemble different kinds of trees and carried the scent of them as well. They were all named according to what they smell like.

Hyano smiled and waved. "Hello there. Nice to see you all are doing well."

The tall dark-skinned heavily muscled male herder with long brown dreadlocks looked at Hyano, giving a slight nod as his greeting before looking at the rather small wraith beside her. He raised a brow his brown gaze looking at whom he assumed was a child beside her. He knew it couldn't be Hyano's child. As far as he remembered she had always said she couldn't have children. He almost thought she was babysitting for one of the other herder families again until he finally sensed the darkness coming from the 'boy.' His large muscles tensed and his already stiff gaze hardened.

Beside him the woman who could be obviously identified as his wife looked over from her child and smiled. She was obviously the more emotional of the two.

"Hello Hyano. I am very happy to see you. Our family is doing very well. Cane and Rosa both send their regrets at not being here. Cane is with a friend and Rosa believes she is a little too old to be doing such things." She said before letting her gaze also go to the small wraith. While her husband's eyes were dark brown her eyes were more of an almond color. Her skin was also lighter along with her longer dreadlocks. She tried not to let it show but the creature put her a little on edge, so before the youngest eleven years old herder could even get a chance she caught her by the shoulder to keep her from running over to the boy. The little herder girl took after her mother with long dreads and lighter skin. She was dressed head to toe in a pretty pink princess outfit. She blinked at the boy then smiled.

"Hi!" She said happily waving her hand not at all worried like her parents were.

The Nazgul tilted his head to the side as he watched them, clearly unsure and uncertain about their form. His hooded head snapped to the little... dwarf as it addressed him and moved her hand in a form of greeting. All the wraith could do was tilting his hooded head to the side and watch her, standing at the door for now and sniffed the air audibly. He realized this was a bad move, since the scent of... flowers and trees soon met his senses, which caused him to step backwards with a shake of his head and a small hiss.

Hyano blinked down at him, then giggled before finally reaching down and scooping Ren up. Even at a child's size the wraith was a little heavy but thankfully Hyano was just strong enough to handle it.

Now this was something Ren did not expect. He gaze a surprised hiss when all of a sudden he felt something grab him and the floor -which was all too close for comfort- began to distance itself from him and found himself pressed against Hyano's form. The wraith tilted his head to the side at the new view he got of the shop and when he felt his balance shift to the side due to the way she picked him up, so quickly grasped onto the wizard's shirt to make sure he doesn't fall down. His sharp gauntlets pierced through the soft fabric and scratched her skin.

"Ren, these are the herders I told you about. Try and be nice. That little girl is going to go trick or treating. Maybe we could have you go with her." The wizard suggested and cringed as she felt his gauntlets pierce her skin but she relaxed after a moment. She was first saying it in a hushed tone in Black Speech before repeating it louder in common tongue for the herder family to hear.

The young girl heard this idea and before her mother could protest and jumped up and down.

"Okay! That would be fun! A trick or treat buddy! Woohoo!" She cheered, making Hyano laugh lightly.

Once the istar told him about the herder people, the creature shifted in his current position to look at them again, his hooded head moving as he looked them up and down but in the end his invisible gaze ended up on the little dwarf who cried out something with excitement.

"No." Was his quick reply in return and quickly snapped his gaze to Hyano and stared at her before speaking up once again. "Put... me... down... Or else." He said darkly with a hidden threat in his tone. Well, it would have sounded indeed rather intimidating if it wasn't for his thin voice and quicker pace of speaking... To make a point, the wraith turned back towards the dwarf and gave a threatening small hiss that a cat would sound towards a dog.

Hyano raised a brow at the demand, then smirked at him.

"Oh, I will soon enough, Ren. Just relax. Enjoy the ride. And you 'are' going." She said, giving him the order to let him know he had little choice in the matter.

If he had the ability to roll his eyes, and he knew what it is for, Ren surely would do so without hesitation at the command of the orange wizard. Of course, he knew they had the deal and knew to keep to his word. But this was shattering his pride and the small dignity he had left in anyone's eyes.

The mother cringed slightly before finally speaking up.

"Hyano... what language are you speaking? It seems so... harsh." She asked, having never heard Black Speech before, however to any normal person it was very hard on the ears.

Hyano laughed lightly.

"Just a different language. He is from a distant island on the southern border that I picked up on my last travel. He needed a home so I am providing a temporary one for the time being." She explained with a smile, of course not intending to say the full truth about her... companion.

At this point and state of frustration, Ren gave an irritated hiss and slumped his body, unintentionally letting her feel more of his weight. But it did not last long because in the next second the Nazgul's gaze was attracted to something at the desk and tilted his hooded head to the side when he noticed something... horrible. He hissed sharply and struck out both of his hands with a force that sent himself forward away from Hyano's body. Someone touched his decorations and moved a spider web away!

"Oh for the love of the valar, Ren!" The orange wizard grumbled, nearly falling over before placing the wraith down and allowing him to go about his business.

"Can I go play with the other kid mommy? Pleeeaaase!" Begged the little girl who was known by the name Lilly to the wizard, looking up at her mother and trying to give her the cutest look she could. Thankfully the girl seemed to be very good at this, so soon enough her mother groaned, before relenting and allowing the girl to run over to Ren, curious about what he was doing.

As soon as he was put down, Ren was off for the desk, successfully almost tripping a few times just because he didn't lift his feet high enough to make a step. But instead of learning from these mistakes he simply cursed and hissed, spat at the clumsiness he was cursed with today. In the end, he managed to make it to the furniture and looked at the decoration that was moved. But... he was met with a tiny problem. He was too short and neither could he reach it, nor see it for the moment. Hissing once in irritation, the wraith made his way to the side, remembering a chair there. Once arriving he looked at it and stared at it before beginning his troubling adventure of climbing it. It did not bother him that the wizard was in earshot but cursed her out numerous times as he struggled with his task and once he managed to stand on top of it... that was when he was met with that significant detail that the chair had wheels... Thus, thanks to the unbalanced stance of the Nazgul, the chair simply decided to move backwards on its own, which caused the creature to shriek and slam his gauntleted hand into the desk, scratching into it, sinking his claws in it. So here he was stretched out between the chair and the desk, his feet planted on the former, and his hands grasping the latter.

Hyano giggled and walked over to the parents.

"So what about it? Mind taking him with you?" She inquired.

The mother cringed, unsure about the situation, seeing she did not quite know this creature who most certainly didn't sound and didn't behave like a human. She sighed and shifted her almond gaze to her husband. He was the head of the household so his word was final.

The father of the young child observed all this silently and while most of this would seem comical to all, no wrinkle or muscle moved on the face of the male herder. Instead he looked back at the wizard, his eyebrow slightly moving upwards in a silent question which he knew he did not need to word at all. It was certain that he did not trust that creature struggling between the desk and the chair. He didn't know what it was, where it came from, if it is dangerous, neither did he see any other being like that. It was foreign and in no way would he put out his family to a danger like that. Especially because he will need to stay behind to keep an eye on the shop. Though, he did give a chance for Hyano to explain as he did not yet word his decision.

Hyano noticed the change that no other person would ever notice. The smallest of changes were the most important among these people. Especially the men. She smiled.

"He is harmless. I promise and I will be there with you." She assured the man with a nod of her head before looking over at Ren. Hyano looked ready to go over and help him but the little girl was one step ahead of her.

Lilly ran up and tried to push the chair closer.

"Grrrrr... you... are... heavy!" She groaned out as she pushed and pushed as hard as she could.

The gaze of the herder man also turned towards the commotion at the desk and stared at the happenings, still clearly not convinced about the safety regarding this... unknown creature. He was radiating cold air... Something... something strange but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was something like an instinct, an ancient knowledge that was hidden yet felt, passed on to him through generations.

In the mean time Ren stopped his struggling and looked down when he felt the chair under him move, albeit slowly and hissed in return of the words he could not recognize. What mattered for him was that his gauntleted hand was getting closer to the desired decoration and he can finally get it back where it was. But as usual, his luck always ran dry after a while. As he stood on the tips of his toes and stretched towards the fake spider web, he finally grasped it and signaled his victory with a short mix between a hiss and a shriek...

Right at this point, the small herder child managed to slip, thus releasing the chair from her grasp, which caused the wraith to once again stretch between the desk and the moving furniture but the force of the release made sure that the chair rolled even farther back. In a flash, the item was gone from under the shrunken Nazgul, causing him to fall towards the ground with a surprised hiss, dragging the sharp tips of his gauntlets along the surface of the wooden desk and drag down many of the decorations he placed there right along.

As the dark being landed on the ground with a thud, the herder man's gaze lingered on the... nasty looking scratch that the creature left and couldn't help but shift his eyes back at the wizard. It was clear what he was thinking.

Hyano mentally groaned. Ren made it very hard to vouch for him, especially when he did things like that.

The little girl's mother ran over to her child who had been knocked over when she slipped. She held her little girl who sniffled but didn't cry like most children would.

"His shriek is scarier than his scratch. Trust me. Besides, they will be too busy getting candy to worry about such things. Come on. I promise it will be fine. Trust me?" The orange istar asked of the man with a smile.

The silent man's gaze averted from Hyano and glanced at his daughter and wife as the latter comforted the former and made sure nothing was wrong. As it seemed Lilly was just spooked by the sudden fall but otherwise she was not harmed in any way. He looked back at the wizard and after crossing his arms he simply watched his family again. He did not trust this creature one bit, no matter how clumsy it seemed to be. There was something wrong with it clearly... But he trusted Hyano. The wizard was basically family, helped them with situations that were out of their grasp and watched out for their children without question. So far nothing wrong happened... Who was he to question the power and promise of an istar?

Ren in the mean time grumbled to himself as he stood up, shaking his hooded head, then hissed in surprise when he noticed all the decoration was now on his cloak instead of the desk. He huffed and began picking them off of himself, leaving the fake spider web in his grasp. He watched it in silence for what seemed like minutes before snapping and simply throwing it to the ground with a furious hiss and simply picked up all the other decorations and showed them to the side. He will deal with that later... He didn't seem to realize that he caused some kind of a disturbance in the people who were around him, only gaining interest once he heard that strange sound coming from the side... Hyano made that noise sometimes when she is in a bad mood, the wraith remembered. He tilted his hooded head to the side and looked up at see the little dwarf in the arms of a larger being and watched them with a mild interest.

Hyano smiled as she saw his silently agreed before walking over and checking on the scared child, then looked to the mother.

"Any chance you could call your eldest daughter and have her come to watch the shop for me? It will be paid of course." She asked.

The mother laughed lightly before nodding. It would probably do her eldest daughter some good to get out of their house anyway.

"Alright then! Ren, get your rag covered butt over here." Hyano said as she walked over the herder mother, taking out her cell phone and making the call. This way both parents could be there to supervise and make sure that thing didn't cause their daughter any harm. Hyano knelt down in front of him. "Alright, Ren. Here are the basics of what we are doing today. You and the little girl will be walking up to houses and all you have to do is put out your bag and say 'Trick or Treat.' Alright?" She said, making sure to say the saying the phrase in common tongue or else Ren would be walking up to houses and would speak in a language they don't understand.

The Nazgul watched her, tilting his hooded head to the side, still gripping the fake spider web in his gauntleted hand.

"Why do I need to do all this to get something I don't want?" He asked, knowing full well that this situation would only yield items he didn't have any use for. He despised the scent of sweets, they stink and stick. There was nothing pleasant about them... So why would he go through the trouble to collect all that and in the end just throw them out? Or maybe Hyano has some kind of desire for them? She made some of it herself a day ago... Still... why would he waste his time with this and why doesn't she do this work? He knew they already talked about it while they were at his territory and on their way to the shop. "This makes no sense to me." He hissed and crossed his arms over his cloaked chest and averted his hooded head from her, unknown to him successfully taping the fake spider web onto his clothes.

"I don't believe it really has to make sense to you, now does it? Trust me. It won't be all that bad." The young looking wizard said with a smile. He may end up hating the trick or treating part of all this but she was sure he would enjoy the walk and seeing so many different costumes. His curiosity knows no bounds, after all.

The wraith hissed in return and did not move... but deep inside he knew he will have to follow her instructions, even though he attempted to look as stubborn as he can be to preserve as much pride and dignity as he can scrape up from the floor. Today and tomorrow will be the days of his servitude and no more. He was a Nazgul and can take so many days of inferiority and live to tell the tale... Or better yet... he should never say a single word about this.

"Do I have a choice?" Ren asked as if the question was sincere but he knew the answer already, this being just a final test for his chances of getting away with the usual 'no'. He just wanted to get through this nightmare and never remember it again. In the end his shoulders slumped, this being the silent wordless submission towards her will. He had given his word... so it shall be. For now...

"If you have to ask, then you already know the answer." She replied simply, then looked back at the herder family, the little girl looking around at various items in the shop by this point. "Alright. We are ready to go when you people are. I say we head down the street past the few markets that will be passing out treats and toys, then into the nearby neighborhood before coming back." The wizard suggested.

The little girl's eyes lit up. "Can we stop by the toy shop, daddy? The toy man said he would be giving free toys for Halloween today. Please!" The little girl begged as she ran up to her father and tugged at his shirt while jumping up and down cutely.

The man did not give an answer, instead shifted his gaze to the mother, watching her, wordlessly giving her the power to decide instead of him. She was the one who made the decisions when it came to the finances because she had a knack for keeping money where it belonged. His attention however shifted from her to the wraith that began murmuring to himself in a thin voice as he attempted to practice what he needed to say. Anyone else would have burst out laughing but the herder man seemed simply interested in the way he talked. It was no human... That was for sure. All the more reason to go with his family.

"Trrikkk... Nar... Triiiiikkk..." The Nazgul hissed, shaking his hooded head at each failed attempt. He knew they sounded bad even for his own senses but he couldn't quite grasp the words just yet. "Trikkkkk... Track... Trick... Or..." Ren paused and hissed once, kind of celebrating a small victory for managing to pronounce the two words needed for this mess. But there was still the third word which... was a bit harder... "Trait... Treeet... Threat... Triiiick or Threat?" He finally said, although it needed more work but he thought he got the right pronunciation.

The mother seemed to consider it, standing with her hands going to her hips. She knew if they took the little girl to the toy store the little girl would more than likely leave with more than the intended toy she was supposed to get for free. There was no way around that. Take a child into a toy store and they were going to want everything their little hands could get a hold of. She had a feeling that would be the same for the wraith... thing, considering how much work he put into getting the fake spider.

"Alright but only on the condition that you keep your hands to yourself and if we say 'no' that means 'no'." She said, earning an eager nod from the little girl.

Hyano wasn't paying attention to the family at the moment, instead she knelt in front of the wraith, watching as he worked his way to the right way of saying the word. It reminded her of when she was first learning Black Speech. When he finally succeeded... kind of... she grinned and clapped for him, thinking he earned a congratulatory clap.

"Good job. Figured it all out in just a few minutes. Not bad." She said proudly.

No matter how she praised him, Ren found no satisfaction in the situation. The wraith felt his pride shatter with each second that flew by and by each word he uttered in the tongue of Mankind, knowing that this is quite much a begging phrase to get something he hates but Hyano loves. But a promise was a promise... If possible, his shoulders slumped even more and he looked away, not even wanting to see that smug look on her face which she surely has on at the moment. He could only guess what kind of twisted amusement she must feel for torturing her own master. Though... she doesn't consider him as such, which only irritated the Ringwraith further. He did not say a word, just waited for the nightmare to begin...

The orange wizard giggled lightly before standing and going to the back of the shop. She soon came back with two bags. One for each of them. She handed one to the young princess, then one to Ren.

Ren tilted his head to the side with curiosity when the bag was handed to him and watched it for a few seconds before moving it, turning it in his metal-covered hands. Why did she give him this? Is there something inside? He asked himself and opened it but found it was empty. The wraith hissed and tilted his hooded head to the other side before raising his invisible gaze to Hyano, questioning the usage of the item.

At this point the door opened, alerting the occupants but they relaxed once they saw that another herder walked in. A young female, older than the little princess but not as old as the mother. She seemed to be still lost in the music she was clearly listening to. She also had dark eyes like her father and long dreadlocks like her mother, however the girl seemed less happy. She pulled her headphones out of her ears and raised a brow at the wraith before side stepping around it and heading over to her father.

"What is that?" She asked him, being quite blunt in her question. This was only natural for someone her age of course. She was a teenager, even if she was a herder which race originally is prone to a quiet demeanor they were still just as blunt as ever.

The tall herder man watched his daughter, then slowly shifted his eyes to the wizard nearby. Even he didn't know but Hyano should be able to enlighten them after some time of distrust towards this creature. Because it wasn't human, that is for sure.

The young teen looked at the wizard but instead of asking she walked over to the counter, jumping over and getting the candy bowl ready.

The little herder saw this and quickly ran up holding her bag open to her sister.

"Trick or treat!" She said excitedly.

The older sister rolled her eyes but smiled all the same before taking a cookie and dropping it into the girl's bag.

The little herder squealed, jumping up and down happily before running back to her parents.

Hyano looked at the little wraith and gave him a slight nudge.

"Go ahead, Ren." She encouraged, still having not bothered answering to his wordless question from before, seeing this demonstration told him exactly what the bag was for.

Ren watched with curiosity as the little girl said the phrase they are supposed to repeat countless time today and saw as the bag was suddenly filled by some of that disgusting candy. He shook his head and visibly shuddered at the thought of how it must stink and wanted to turn around and mind his own business but that was when Hyano nudged him. He turned his hooded head towards her, then towards the bigger creature at the counter and observed her, tilting his head to the side but then again returned to glance at the wizard as if wordlessly saying 'no' to the suggestion but seeing she did not seem to relent the wraith in the end just slumped his shoulders with a long hiss and looked down at the bag in his hands before dragging himself over to the young woman, the bag sliding on the floor behind him. It was clear he wasn't enjoying himself for the moment. Once he arrived where Lilly stood a few moments ago, the Nazgul gave another hiss which could be taken as a heavy sigh and looked up, then away in stubbornness before saying the phrase he was still unsure about.

"T-triiiiiick... ooooor... threat..." He said, although silently and showed little to no excitement or joy in it, unlike the little girl moments ago.

The elder herder sister looked at the wraith for a moment before looking through all the things she had. She couldn't see a face on the thing so she doubted he wanted any of the food. However, she saw a candy that was wrapped in very bright red wrapping. She looked it over before tossing it in his bag.

"Here you go, little guy." She said, hoping it was a little 'guy'. She didn't want to offend something that had sharper claws than most any animals she knew.

Hyano smiled. She had placed that treat in there on purpose for Ren. He might hate the smell of candy but the look might be more likely to catch his attention.

The wraith was not interested in any of the process of this... degrading task but he caught something bright just before it fell into the bag he was holding. Instantly he pulled the bag away from the young woman and shuffled to the side, eagerly searching for whatever it was. He couldn't quite catch what it was but the color was all too interesting to let it slide as nothing. The bag was big enough compared to his size and he already vanished halfway within the thing before he gave a hiss and began to step backwards, his back hitting a furniture. Ren then started to hiss more and tried to pull the bag off of him while he struggled. He was perfectly able to do so normally but right now if one didn't know better he seemed to be panicking. It wasn't because of the fact that he was stuck but because he was desperately trying to get out when he smelled the sweet scent coming from the candy. It was already enough to send the wraith hissing like an angry cat...

Hyano facepalmed while everyone looked at him, not sure if they should laugh or try to help the little wraith. The wizard however seemed to know exactly what to do. She walked up behind him, picked him up and pulled the bag off of his head.

"Ren, you have an uncanny knack for getting yourself into the strangest of situations." She said with a light laugh before putting him down again, then held out the shiny candy to him. "Here."

The Nazgul did not waste time but snatched the candy away from the wizard's grasp, almost successfully clawing her arm as he did so. He hissed in triumph and inched away from Hyano, of course quite protective of this item and finally looked at it, tilting his head to the side in curiosity and interest as the light reflected off of the shiny surface of the candy. However, only one whiff was enough to cause him to make a groaning sound and hold it away from his hooded head. Despite its interesting look... it was still candy and the sweet smell soon engulfed its near vicinity, making Ren confused about what he shall do. It had a very... alluring look but smelled horribly. His want for the shiny thing however seemed to be quite strong because he didn't yet let go of the thing, instead looked at it again when he thought he could tolerate the stench. He was always wrong, so in the end he just walked about with the candy in hand but held out far away from his invisible face.

Hyano giggled and made a mental note to get Ren a plastic jar. It would be clear and shiny like glass so he could admire his collection without the worry of the smell getting to him while also being strong enough that if he decided to run around like an idiot, which he often did, it wouldn't just break easily. However every protection had limits. If he got too stupid his little jar would turn into a candy bomb or in Ren's case a stink bomb.

"Alright, everyone. Come along. Let's go get the rest of your candy." She said, waving for Ren to move.

The little herder ran right for the door. Thankfully she was smart enough, though, not to leave without her parents. That or she was just too short to reach the doorknob.

By this time the Nazgul finally managed to drop the candy into his bag and held it shut with his metal-covered hand with a hiss, basically threatening it to smell like that again and to not come out. This was when he noticed that the people prepared to go, so he simply shuffled over to them and stood behind Hyano, hoping that this way he will be less noticed and she might hopefully forget about him for the night. He did not understand why the dwarf about his current height was so excited about all this. Does she like to beg? Of course she does... She is just another of those lowly petty beings who naturally will serve those of higher power. At least, this is what his mind kept telling him. He found no other reason for this. So here he was, trying to hide and seem as invisible as he can. How degrading...

The wizard noticed his attempts but decided to let him try and hide behind her for the moment. At least he was staying close to her this way so she wouldn't be forced to run around after him. He was thankfully still clumsy as he was. If anything, he was even more so. That just made keeping an eye on him that much easier, though.

As they walked out and into the city they were greeted by the several hundred other children walking the streets tonight. If one didn't know better one would think there was a massive outbreak in darkness here. Hyano smiled at this. She always loved this holiday.

While they walked to wherever they were taking him, Ren took the time to look around, feeling his attention slipping suddenly from their journey to the people and homes around him. He already saw all this yesterday when Hyano drove them back to his territory. All the fake creatures, the mockery, the laugh they have about their past existence... He almost felt disgusted by the view, so looked away and back towards the bag he was carrying, thinking briefly to look at the bright item within it but shook his head when he remembered the smell inside. There was something else that caught his interest. As they walked the crowd got bigger around them, as it seemed more and more dwarves joined them in their journey, deciding to follow them and see where they went, or just had the same destination as them. Or they knew these people... The wraith couldn't tell. But what bothered him in all this was the fact that some of these short beings seemed to find great entertainment in speaking to him and walking next to him, some even tried to look into his hood, probably attempting to see who he was. He shook his head and hissed at them, then quickened his pace to get away from the curious bunch of dwarves but boy were they persistent...

Hyano couldn't exactly be mad at children for being children, so she didn't yell at anyone for being so curious about her littler counterpart. However even she started to get annoyed with some of the unnecessary pestering. When one boy unparticular started tugging on Ren's arm trying to get him to talk back she stopped and swatted the young child.

"Go back to your mother or I'm going to have a talk with her." She warned, her eyes stern which of course did the trick of making him run away back to his parent. She shook her head then looked at Ren. "Some humans just don't know how to keep their hands to themselves."

"No, some humans just forgot that higher beings like me exist and don't know that I can rip them apart if I so desire." The Nazgul hissed as he adjusted his cloak here and there where it was disturbed by the filthy dwarves. Although, his little threat and words were less effective, due to the higher pitched tone he had and his unusually small size compared to his true self. "The next dwarf that dares to lay a single finger on me will have their arm removed, and that is a promise." Ren added for good measure as he followed them, not at all paying any heed where they are going. He did not care. After he was done boasting about his powers and his... imaginary authority over the people of Middle-Earth, the wraith's attention was soon averted by the colorful houses around him and to the brightly dressed people. He even stopped once to observe a mysteriously glowing house but snapped out of it when someone ran past them, wearing some kind of shiny outfit, towards which Ren extended a gauntleted hand as if he wanted to grasp it. Unknown to him, that was someone who was dressed as a half mummified pharaoh, wearing a lot of fake jewelry and golden plates which were made out of various shiny foil.

Hyano caught his 'hand' before he had the chance to touch the child.

"You can't forget something you never truly knew. Sadly beings like you have not existed in this world in many years. So it is only natural that even your stories were lost in legend." She replied, continuing to hold his hand for the moment. It was the easiest way to keep those sharp claws from scratching someone.

If Ren was capable of rolling his eyes, he surely would have done so at Hyano's explanation. They were already through this, having brought up this subject before. He did not care why they forgot his kind. All he cared about was that he might as well remind mankind of wraiths in general, to create a memory they will never forget. Man also seemed to be rather forgetful and ignorant. How can they not remember the happenings of old? The greatest and most important steps their ancestors took, the orcs, the darkness of his Lord and the looming slavery they would have and still do deserve. He felt anger wash over his mind when they finally stopped, causing him to snap out of his thoughts.

By this point they finally reached the first house. The little girl squealed for joy before running up to the cookie store door and knocked enthusiastically.

The Nazgul tilted his head to the side at the little dwarf as she hopped along to apparently beg for more of those horrible things. However... the wizard did not seem to pay attention to him in that matter, so stayed as silent as possible and began backing away to be behind her, his simple thinking telling him that if she cannot see him, she will forget about him being there and he doesn't need to degrade himself even more.

The door opened showing a woman dressed similarly to a wizard with black clothes however her skin was green and her face was made horribly ugly.

Hyano cringed at this. Some of the old stories had been changed here and there and this had been one of the horrible results. A 'witch' as they called them. Horrible creatures that apparently did nothing but bring magical trouble to all. The woman laughed in the most evil way she could come up with but to Hyano and she was sure to Ren as well it just sounded beyond annoying.

"Well hello, little kiddies. Seems like you are some very horrifying creatures on this most scary of nights. What do we have here? A pretty princess." The woman said in an altered elderly tone as she dropped some candy in the little girl's bag, then looked over at Hyano and Ren.

Hyano smirked, then stepped to the side, giving her clear view of what was hiding behind her.

"Oh my stars! A wraith, have we? Well pardon my manners, sire." The witch added before bowing to the little wraith in an exaggerated manner before holding out the candy in a way that made it seem more like an offering than him begging.

Hyano's smirk grew. She hadn't mentioned this part of the day. A lot of people who dressed up as evil creatures would pull stunts like this just for the fun of it, however she was sure Ren might enjoy it quite a bit.

The Nazgul stared at the... strange creature in front of him and tilted his hooded head to the side, then the other when it bowed, unsure what to think of the situation. This one was strange... Green skin? No creature in Middle-Earth had green skin, although the clothes were something he saw before... Wasn't his mate wearing something like this back then? So was this supposed to be an istar? His attention snapped to the offering from the beast. Well... the gesture was familiar and he did feel somewhat... satisfied with the submission shown to him, he even raised his hooded head in dominance but the offering itself was horrible. How can anyone think that a being like him would be happy with these foul sweets? Why do they give it to him? Maybe he should teach this one a lesson... This was when he had to remind himself about what Hyano told him. They did not remember... This made him feel irritated and grumbled to himself but in the end reached out and took the candy just because it began to emit that disgusting stench right into his hood, so quickly stashed them in the bag that was given him and sealed it as quickly and as firmly as possible, not even wanting to smell it anymore. He did not express any form of gratefulness, neither did he seem excited about having gotten something. He just hissed and waited impatiently for them to move on so they can be over with this.

The woman was slightly startled but kept up her act, thanking Ren for taking her offering before going on to the next child behind them. They continued on like this for the most part. Every now and again the role would be flipped and instead of an evil creature the person would act like a good one who offered Ren treats to leave them alone. Hyano couldn't help but feel the situation was funny, considering any creature from back in her time would rather be dead than do that. However, she snapped out of her train of thoughts when she heard giggling, watching as the little girl became the most excited when they reached a large store similar to Hyano's. Only this one was full of toys. Hyano stopped short of going in and looked at Ren.

"You are to keep your hands off of all the things in this building unless it is given to you." She told him, not wanting him to try and take anything and everything he can get his claws on. She hoped their deal would be enough to do that... Hopefully she was right.

Ren just looked at her, tilting his hooded head to the side, not sure why she said that. His attention was too much averted to the distracting lights and the many colorfully dressed people on the streets to notice anything in the display of the building. He only hissed at her command and slumped his shoulders, averting his gaze in an attempt to show a stubborn rebellion against her wishes but otherwise he knew he was bound to follow her anyway. However, he gave a sound of irritation and shoved the bag he was holding into her hands. She can hold it in exchange. At least that was his condition... even if he had no right for conditions today. Once they stepped inside... the Nazgul's senses exploded by the sheer overdose of colors, lights, and sounds, his mind trying to take in and process everything all at once. He froze in the doorway, unable to move for a few minutes. His hooded head moved from one spot to the other, trying to identify all he saw. There were so many small strange constructs, decorations, fluffy... animals...? He didn't know what half of these were for... Others looked like weapons... Swords... Armor... Animals... Dwarves? Humans soldiers... Machines like the one Hyano used to bring him to his territory. Everything was so overwhelming... He... must... know more... In a flash both his hands were extending towards a strange toy.

"Reeeeen." Hyano spoke up, catching his shoulder and holding him in place. She couldn't have him rummage through everything here. Even if he was in a childlike size it was not going to play out well if he caused too much trouble.

However, her grip wasn't really doing much and wasn't enough to stop Ren in wanting to touch the very first thing that came in his line of vision. He kept grasping for it, even if it was too far away and struggled against her hold, only stopping when he heard something from farther off and turned his hooded head towards it, tilting it and staring silently.

Thankfully his stubbornness wasn't going to be that big of a problem because out of nowhere there was a loud screech and out from behind an aisle appeared what looked like a Ringwraith. It was a rather good costume too. Even Hyano had to do a double take. The dark cloak that was draped over him was even tattered and dirty, giving it an ancient and worn look, while clearly metal gauntlets and boots decorated his feet, although the design was slightly off. The face behind the hood was well hidden behind what seemed like a black mark. This man really did his homework. He moved in an inhumanly smooth fashion, almost slithering towards them like a snake, in the same sneaky fashion a wraith would.

The little herder girl screamed before running behind her father's leg not realizing it was just a costume.

The sound of the screech was good quality, it made the real wraith think for a moment but no matter what, one cannot copy a screech so easily, especially not playing it back with a device. He was not fooled but he still found it interesting... He hadn't heard such a sound for a very long time, not including his own, so turned towards the person, watching with keen interest as it moved, almost perfectly mimicking the slithery and sneaky fashion his kind moved when wanting to intimidate. His mind might have known that the creature was not real, due to the fake shriek and the lack of dark aura but his instinct still answered to it accordingly. It wanted to intimidate and was challenging his dominance by just these few calculated steps, so Ren sounded a sharp hiss and stalked forward as well, although his moves were more natural, even though they all looked the same to the normal eye.

Hyano watched closely, her eyes watching them both, ready to jump if she thought Ren might actually attack the costumed man.

The false wraith watched him, tilting his head in a curious manner before kneeling down to him so they were at level with each other, however even then he was still obviously taller and kept himself in a more dominant posture. He screeched at Ren, allowing the 'game' to continue.

_This was the last straw! _

Ren raised his head to appear non-accepting of the display in front of him and spoke up in Black Speech, addressing Hyano.

"Make me big again. This one is going down!" He hissed, feeling his authority and rank challenged by this fake wraith. He kept telling himself that this isn't real but his instincts were all too much working on visuals and reflex, hence why there were so many misunderstandings between humans and him. They might make a move that would seem harmless to them but is challenging to him... This one however made them intentionally, following a... series of movements and sounds all too perfectly which corresponded to a battle for supremacy and rank.

It was a misconception among Man that wraiths always fought physically for their ranks. No. It was mostly a complex matter. If two wraiths wanted to climb higher in ranks they usually first attempted to seem intimidating and show off their fearless mind with body language and sounds. They mostly were complex but had a small system to them, a basic line which they followed. Usually one of them backed off after a while but if they did not impress one another... then they indeed fought with tooth and nail until someone gave in, feeling their powers subdued by the other.

Ren however was dead certain that he had the upper hand. He gave now a louder hiss to match the fake shriek in volume, mixing his own in it but did not find it worthy yet to sound his true loud cry, attempting to degrade his opponent this way. He raised his head again and puffed out his chest, stepping closer, then to the side, wishing to circle the man to let it feel less secure.

The man in the costume was actually impressed, so in turn he got up so he was able to circle around with Ren, copying his movements, tilting his head from side to side. He hissed and screeched back, his fists clinching, then relaxing.

Hyano blinked. Ren was the only wraith she knew but this man was mimicking him very well. Then again, if one really does their research into the old stories, then they could easily assume the way the wraiths would have acted back then. She was impressed and crossed her arms, curious just how well this man could play his part. She was brought out of her thoughts and pondering when the man stepped forward suddenly and screeched loudly at the smaller wraith.

This was the part where Ren wished he was bigger. He should be. With his height so low he cannot bump against the other person, neither can he stare it down, trying to appear taller than the other. This was so... strange and out of place... He knew he was supposed to be bigger and was confused by the difference in height. This made the other appear as intimidating any wraith would be but he could not compete with him being so tiny. This made him think about his once feeble attempt to overtake complete leadership and he challenged the Witch-king. The other was of course at least two heads taller than him, so intimidation by visuals was impossible. The physical fight lasted about two seconds and he was sent fleeing, running from the furious and victorious king for about half a day when the other wanted to make sure he doesn't repeat it ever again. But that was when he used his full potential. Right now it is magic that is holding him back and he became more frustrated as they circled, his hisses became louder, his movements more aggressive until he stopped, freezing in position and watched the other from the corner of his hood, daring him to move. This was a last warning. The other continues and he will attack.

Hyano was behind Ren at this point as she watched them and saw his stance. She knew better than anyone what this meant so she looked at the man in the costume and put her hand up, waving down to tell him that it was time to kill the act.

He seemed to get the hint because instead of continuing the challenge he knelt down swiftly, which caused Ren to tense up slightly, having expected a lunge or a swipe. But all that the man did was bow down to the 'victor'. Even if he didn't technically win, Ren was still given the victory. If only because he was considered the child here.

The real Ringwraith sounded a satisfied long hiss when the other submitted to his power and raised his hooded head to display his victory and dominance over the person who dared to challenge him. This will teach him to pick opponents his own size! Foolish thing! He puffed out his chest and walked back to Hyano's side, crossing his arms over his cloaked chest, standing proudly while eyeing his opponent who is now a rank lower than him. Now that this was set aside... he can finally concentrate on the fact that this wasn't a wraith, yet behaved like one... So what is he? _Who is he?_ He wondered in his mind and tilted his head to the side in a curious fashion.

The taller 'wraith' stood up before finally pulling back his hood and pulling off the black face mask that kept his face from being seen this whole time and revealed to be an older but fit man. He had a dark, almost black hair with a few grayed strands decorating it because of his age and a few wrinkles appeared on his face. His nose was also adorned with glasses which helped his dark blue eyes to see.

Ren maybe expected some kind of a darker creature but was surprised when he saw that the one behind the fake wraith was a human. Should have known... Hyano did say that only humans inhabit this world now. Something deep within him felt kind of disappointed... maybe there was a tiny hope that maybe this one will turn out as something else. It had such an impression... And yet, he was faced with the truth that the wizard kept telling him. This is a world of pretending, a fake one which forgot the days of true life. Now it is all about rushing, carelessness, laziness... He couldn't help but give a hiss of disapproval and averted his invisible gaze from the man.

"Well now, that will likely be the most fun I have all day." The man said with a grin before walking over to his desk and picked up two toys. One was a boy's toy, a fake weapon, a well-made small knife but still fake. The other one was a pink magic wand. He then knelt down. "Come get it, my friends." He said with a grin.

The scared little girl smiled before running up and taking the wand. "Awesome!" She exclaimed and held it up like a fairy would, beginning to play-spell thing around herself, then ran back to her parents, hugging her new toy happily.

The Nazgul turned back once he held out something for them and noticed the excitement of the little dwarf. He tilted his hooded head to the side, then stepped forward, taking it as an offering in submission, then reached out and took the weapon. As soon as he touched it, he knew it was fake. Again. Another fake thing. His grip tightened on the item before he finally dropped it, then reached inside his cloak to retrieve a real weapon for him to see. He calls that a weapon? He will make him feel one!

The man's eyes widened. Is that what he thought it was? He did not get long enough to get a good look because Hyano quickly grabbed the little wraith and pulled him so the weapon was facing away from him, causing him to give a startled hiss.

"Ren... That man is an admirer of your culture and history but giving him a personal lesson would be a bad idea... Put the blade back." The wizard warned him. She knew this person. He was well educated and curious. Two things that made humans very dangerous sometimes.

"Then I give him something to admire!" He hissed right back and wanted to pull the sword free completely, seeing her hand blocked him from succeeding before. "You also told me they forgot about us... and then here is this one... But instead of fearing me... he is mocking me!" He told her angrily, facing her with the claims she made a few hours ago. This human however is the perfect example that people did not forget about them just yet, they are simply disrespectful, having gone insolent with the lack of experience.

The orange istar gripped his hand and knelt down to eyelevel with him.

"He isn't mocking. He is fascinated. He looks into all the histories and that is how he learned to be like you. The weapon he tried to give you is a type of toy given to children. You are supposed to be a child. He currently believes you are acting just as much as he was. He means no true offense." She explained sternly before looking towards the man who was trying to get a better look and clearly was finding quite the curiosity towards the speech they were using. "We cannot afford for you to prove them wrong." she added.

"If he knows my kind then he should know to fear me!" Ren hissed back and pulled away from her, however he slipped the blade back into its place under his cloak. For now. But the sound of metal sliding along metal could not be blocked. "And if he knows my kind... then why do I need to hide still? Why can't I teach him a lesson about mocking us by mimicking us? I don't care that he didn't mean it! He still did what he did so deserves a reminder!" The Nazgul hissed and crossed his arms, turning away from the wizard but stopped in his tracks when he saw the man just in front of him, making him look up to follow the cloak to look into the face of the impostor.

"He can't fear something he doesn't think exists anymore and you don't exactly look like your shining glory right now, Ren... If you really want to prove you are who you aren't, shouldn't you wait to come back when you are at your full height and power?" Hyano countered, thinking if she was lucky he might forget about it by then. She noticed the man was trying to look around her at the smaller dark creature, hearing them talking but not able to make out a word. She gritted her teeth. Damn he was a curious human.

The wraith was by now staring at the man, tilting his hooded head to the side but once Hyano mentioned his original state he turned back slightly to look at her.

"Then why don't you do it now? What keeps you back?" He asked, wanting her of course to take off this magic this instant so he can make a point. By this time they weren't alone anymore...

Other children who wanted to visit the toy shop were beginning to come in and stopped, watching as the -seemingly- mother and son were arguing in a completely unfamiliar language. Maybe the boy took a toy he wasn't supposed to? Or was rude? They didn't know, they just waited there, standing in silence.

Hyano shook her head.

"We are leaving. Period." She said bluntly as she put a hand on his back and pushed him towards the door. She noticed the man in the costume seemed only half interested in the children now... She was worried. That man might become a problem. He would do what all humans do. Investigate and that was more than she wanted from any human right now. "Will. Holly! Let's go." She called to the couple before turning and going to the door and leaving as fast as possible.

While he knew he could not really say 'no' to anything she said today, Ren still put as much effort into making their exit as troublesome as possible. He planted his feet into the ground as often as he could and tried to push his weight against her hand which kept shoving him outside. He hissed sharply at each attempt but once they were outside he just kept walking, clearly in a bad mood and furious, not at all interested in all this madness anymore. Not like he was but... At least it kept his attention, now he just wanted to go back to his territory and lose himself in his collection. Wait... Tilting his head, the wraith reached into his cloak to retrieve a colorful lighter and moved his finger onto the switch which caused the slow dancing flames to appear. That seemed to force his mind to concentrate on it instead of the disappointment.

Hyano made it out the door, then looked at him. Well that wasn't the worst way for him to spend the evening. She sighed, then waved for them to continue. She heard a crash and knew it was some children causing trouble. They always do on this day, however these kids were harmless. She kept a hand on his back, only ushering him softly as they walked along the given path.

* * *

_-few hours later-_

"Are you really sure I need to go?" Ren asked as they stood in front of another house's porch with Lilly already in front of the door and waiting for someone to open it. The wraith however seriously wasn't finding anymore will in his cursed mind to shuffle over and shatter the tiniest piece of pride he still had left somewhere deep within the deepest recesses of his soul. He was standing in front of the wizard with his body slumped and his hands dangling at his sides, dragging the bag on the ground which was already so thin that it soon will rip open if he took it along one more step. He knew their contract is still active and he should do just as she said but he simply could no longer allow this to continue. "Are you very much certain that I go to that door and beg for those awful terrible things is the most important action in Middle-Earth? Are you sure it will tear at our minds if I don't go begging for a few hours?" He was attempting to do everything in his power to drag this small debate out and hopefully she will just give in out of annoyance and they can go home...

Hyano gave a groan. He had been at this for an hour now. Constantly asking the same question and whining like a child between houses and of course dragging his feet the whole way. She had turned him into a child so it only made sense that he act like one.

"You know what? Fine. Let's go. My turn." She said, taking his hand and pulling him along, deciding to end this nonsense once and for all. Her head was beginning to hurt from all his whining. "I will see you all later." She called, waving to the family and kept walking quickly. She honestly just needed to get out of their line of sight as fast as was possible given the situation. Thankfully the darkness of an alley is still the same, no matter what century one lives in and with that thought in mind she turned a corner into one.

All of a sudden the stubborn resistance of the wraith let up and he freely followed her to wherever she wanted to go. He couldn't wait to be himself again, to grow back into his power and become intimidating as he should be. He felt degraded and shattered each time he would be seen in his current size, seen as a lowly petty dwarf just like the rest. But this nightmare shall end. He once again will tower above all, he will let them feel his true darkness and will not be treated like some puny creature that can be dragged anywhere. Finally...

* * *

_-few minutes later-_

A dark hooded head peaked out into the streets from the alley, now far higher off of the ground than a few minutes ago. Despite him getting what he wanted, he was still rather hesitant. While when he was tiny he was able to walk about without catching any attention, now as a grown wraith he would probably remind a lot of people of the dark creature that decided to go on a killing spree and who had been giving a headache to the soldiers and guards of the city. This was something he did not think about beforehand... He stepped out carefully, although the sound his metal boots gave out easily failed his attempted stealth.

Hyano noticed and caught his hand, now needing to reach upwards to do so. She was at the same size and age as she was at the very day they met for the first time.

"Relax... you are not the only wraith out tonight remember?" She told him before pointing out the various humans dressed up to look much like him. Some were even dressed like her kin as well. None were quite right of course but they were still interesting to look at. "Did you really think I would take you out if I wasn't sure you would be safe, Ren?" She asked with her free hand on her hip.

The Nazgul instantly remembered his hunt. She knew exactly what he was getting into and she let him do it, which means she let him walk right into a trap, into danger. So in his book it was just that. The wraith looked down at her and stared, clearly annoyed and irritated but sighed and shrugged, gesturing for her to go wherever she wanted. But if he started feeling too bored... he will spice it up by a little... fun. Like... maybe make a kill or shriek and the whole town knows who he is. Being chased by those mortals is more entertaining than standing around... Ren wasn't exactly keen on this trip and hoped it will end very soon. Like... now... this instant. He was basically dragging himself with every step and kept a close eye on everyone around them. Just in case someone recognizes him.

Hyano walked, one hand holding the wraith's hand while the other held a simple sack. She went to the first house with him in tow, a few other children were not far behind. She knocked on the door and someone dressed as a female devil opened the door.

She smiled and dropped some candy in Hyano's bag.

"Aw well aren't you a cute one? And so is your dad." The woman said, giving the wraith a wink.

Hyano raised a brow. If she knew who she was flirting with, she would probably think twice but Hyano didn't do anything to correct it.

The wraith only stopped his surveillance once they stopped, noticing they must have arrived at their destination. Nice. She can do whatever she planned and they can go home. He tilted his head to the side when he saw the strangely clad female open the door and tilted his head to the other side in confusion when she seemed to address him. This was strange. He didn't understand basically any word of what she said, so he kept staring blankly, then moved to gaze at Hyano for some kind of help in the matter.

Hyano snickered, then looked to the confused woman.

"He doesn't speak English." She explained.

"Oooh. So, he is foreign and cute. Even better." The woman said with a giggle.

Hyano facepalmed, then took Ren's hand and tried to tug him away from the woman. This was mildly hilarious. She can't even see what Ren looks like, much less judge if he is hot or not. The very idea was rather funny.

The dark creature hated it when he didn't understand... So, he let Hyano take him away from there and after a safe distance simply turned his gaze to her again curiously while they walked.

"What was that? What did she say?" He asked, fairly curious what they talked about. He knew he was the subject of the brief conversation and was addressed as well, so wanted to know what it all was about. It must have been nothing pleasant though, considering her reaction.

The orange wizard giggled lightly.

"She was flirting with you, Ren. She thought you looked good so she was trying to get your attention. Too bad for her you lack emotions and social skills so you didn't even notice." She explained as she started for the next house. She doubted it would have mattered even if Ren had noticed. How would he have replied? She doubted they really understood sexual attraction.

"Flirting? Such a strange word... Why can't mortals express actions by simple means that I can understand?" The wraith complained and shook his head in disbelief. Her explanation didn't help him. What did she mean by... he looked good and why did she want his attention? Because he looked good? He was a wraith... a person in a dark cloak... He was terrifying, not looking good... "Mortals..." He grumbled and noticed they are nearing a new house this time. "Don't tell me you will do this to many more houses..." He certainly will not go with her to each house... Can't he just... wait by the road?

"Fiiiine. You are being no fun at all. You aren't even willing to try." The istar said with a sigh, then let go of his hand to go up to the next house on her own. Fine. If he wanted to be that way. This day was getting to be a little disappointing. He wasn't even really trying to enjoy himself. She guessed that was just his stubborn nature showing but still.

Ren sighed in relief when she relented and simply went to the next house on her own. Finally something good happens. He didn't know why in the name of the Dark Lord would people do all this. He completely didn't understand what the point is. Going through the trouble of dressing up, going from one house to another to beg for and get those disgusting sweets which they surely can get from a store. Or make them themselves as Hyano did. He shook his head in disbelief. Mortals are so confusing and complicated...

Hyano walked up to the next house. She sighed and decided to actually enjoy herself a little. At least, she would have some sweets for the next couple of months. She grinned as she came up to the house and said the magic phrase.

"Trick or treat." And was given the wonderful sweetness of candy. She grinned. Some things always made a bad day better. Sweets were one of them.

Ren sighed as he was left alone once more, kind of feeling relieved but the moment he looked forward it more became a nightmare. Houses... in a long long line... All awaiting for the dwarves to beg for those sweets. This will be a long night. He sighed and his shoulders slumped, shaking his head in disbelief and annoyance. How long will they be doing this? Until she got enough sweets? But this is rather slow... they will never get to the end. He saw how much she got the last time and this will take ages now... Sighing, he crossed his arms over his chest and let his gaze wander.

Boring... Nothing...

Some dwarves came up to the house almost opposite of them and the Nazgul watched as they neared a bowl full of sweets on a small table on its balcony. He observed with mild, almost non-existent interest as they grabbed for them, then suddenly there was a loud screaming coming from them, even the wraith flinched at the sharp noise of these tiny humans as they fled from the house.

What the...?

This was when the wraith noticed someone else on the balcony. A man. Clad in a... costume as it seemed with a pumpkin plant on his head? Then watched as he sat back down next to the table, once more becoming motionless. The gears within the mind of the wraith started to turn as he stared at the man. So... he is guarding a rather large bowl of sweets the wizard needed... If he got that bowl... she surely would have enough sweets for today and they can go home? The wraith looked left and right, then back towards the wizard who was still occupied with the house on the other side. Sighing and rubbing his armored hands, the wraith slowly made his way towards the house with the balcony, stepping up on the stairs and stopped briefly, his invisible gaze fixed on the man whose muscles moved just a little. This will be priceless... The wraith then moved in suddenly, going for the bowl and as he expected, the seemingly lifeless human stood up suddenly, imitating a rather sickly bear's roar. However to the man's disappointment, the wraith just stood there, staring at him as a response. The man seemed to not get it and tried roaring again but this time it was Ren's turn to scare. He didn't waste time to step forward towards the man and let out a low, warning, snake-like hiss, which on its own wouldn't have scared anyone so much. However, he made sure to mix it with a nice amount of dark aura, which almost darkened his environment. This, along with the hiss caused the man to back away before he started to shout and run off, falling over the railing of the balcony. The wraith watched with satisfaction as the man did so and shrugged before reaching out and grabbing the bowl, walking off back towards the street with his prize.

Hyano came back and blinked as she was greeted by a Nazgul with a huge bowl of candy.

"... Alright... what did you do?" She asked, knowing full well he did not go to that many houses and where in Valar's name would he have gotten the bowl anyway? She was answered by the screams of a man across the street. "Oh dear Valar." She sighed, raising a hand to caress her temple.

When Hyano questioned him, the wraith didn't waste time to hold the bowl out to her with the many candy within it and nudged it towards her.

"Now we can go home..." He told her, though with a little uncertainty but a little strict tone was also mixed within it. She surely has now enough sweets, right? They can go home and he can be away from this madness...? He wanted her to take it from him so they can be on their way. At least so he hoped.

Hyano sighed, seemingly rather... disappointed despite him getting what she needed.

"Yes... alright." She said, taking the bowl from him and gave him a small smile as she poured the bowl into her bag, then started back for home, waving her hand so the spell on her body was taken away and she turned back into a woman. There was no point in being a child anymore. She didn't get to really enjoy it anyway.

Ren was pleased when she took the bowl and confirmed that they will indeed go home now. Finally... He couldn't wait to be safe again. Though, the little scare and the satisfaction he got from it was welcomed. He still couldn't help but notice her disappointment in the matter and looked down to see that her bag was basically full. Wasn't the bowl of candy enough?

"What is it?" He asked, tilting his head to the side, unsure what he did wrong. Even if he did, he wouldn't care. Why would he? This is not his trouble. Alright, maybe she wanted to go from house to house? That would be all too boring anyway. Don't dwarves get bored with saying the same thing over and over?

The orange wizard sighed and stopped. She smiled a bit up at him.

"Sorry... I guess I'm just disappointed you didn't have as much fun as I had hoped. This day was kind of made to celebrate creatures like you and I thought you might at least take a little pride in that if nothing else." She admitted honestly with a shrug and looked around. Considering they had all but been forgotten, it was kind of nice to see them celebrate their memories... even if they weren't completely correct.

Ren hissed and shook his head.

"My kind is not to be celebrated but feared and hated! Terror should be on their mind when thinking about a wraith and not... merriment... or... sweets... Who came up with the idea of associating something like me with sweets?" He basically complained, hissing in almost annoyance at the thought of people back then five thousand years ago would think of candies when talking about the Nazgul. He didn't know how in Morgoth they would come up with that idea? Creatures like him despised the scent of sweets... "I would take pride in all this if on this day instead of mocking us they would cower in their homes, shaking like tree leaves..." He mused, finding the whole event out of place. It wasn't right at all in his eyes. "Tell me what I should enjoy in this mockery?"

"I already explained why they give out candy." The istar said, waving that part off, then thought for a moment before replying. "Because they didn't forget about you altogether... They forgot quite a number of creatures. The elves. The dwarves. But you were remembered. Doesn't that count for something?" She asked him curiously. If he looked around, the number of wraiths compared to other creatures was actually rather high. "And the reason they dress like you is because you are considered scary. You fill their horror stories and part of today is to try and scare others. All those that can't handle the costumes are in their homes hiding away tonight."

The wraith hummed and crossed his arms over his chest, pondering.

"But what is hiding if one doesn't search for them? How about we spice up tonight and hunt for such people?" He asked, trying to actually do something now that they are outside. Going back home can wait if he gets to do something entertaining. Begging for sweets isn't something he would like to do. Scaring people? That is more like it. "Still... I say it is mockery. If you are afraid of something, then you don't even dare dressing up as such. They need a refresh of their memories and history with wraiths." He hissed, feeling excitement grown within him, his gaze automatically wandering the many faces around them. He wanted to show them what a real wraith is and what it can do.

Hyano thought for a second, considering how this might turn out before smirking slightly.

"Same rules still apply. You can't kill anyone... " She said but didn't deny him the right to have some fun. If it got him to stop being a big old stick in the mud, then she was willing to try it.

Ren's hooded head turned to her when she spoke, staring at her as if asking 'are you sure?'. The wraith then proceeded gazing at the people. He will have to catch people who are alone or in their homes... He could maybe... do some trick or treating in his own way. Rubbing his hands together, the wraith spotted a house slightly farther away. It was darker than some, decorated creatively but no dwarves were going to it for now, just now there are few leaving it. Hissing in satisfaction, the wraith started moving towards it. He wanted to relish in the screams of this one.

The wizard grinned, knowing he probably would overdo it but decided to let him play for now. She took a seat on the stoop of a house, knowing it was empty anyway. Time for the show.

The Nazgul slowly stepped up to the door and slowly rang the bell as he saw many do it. The difference was that he hid right after behind the door so the view of the person will be blocked from him.

A man came out with a fake blade through his neck and the added effect of fake blood. He came out with a bowl in one arm while the other was out, he even gave out groaning sounds. He was dressed as a zombie from the looks of it and was trying to get scares out of people. Kind of like Ren, only he gave candy to those that were gutsy enough.

Ren however didn't budge from his position at first, staying hidden, tilting his head to the side at the... off imitation of a dying horse... What is this mortal doing? He actually felt the urge to look but held himself back. It was all for the effect. Once the man shrugged and returned to the safety of his home the wraith this time knocked, still staying behind the door, waiting for it to open again. However, as soon as it opened a second time the dark creature jumped into action. He slid right from behind the door silently almost into the face of the man, once more strengthening his aura and hissed dangerously. He was standing too close for the man to close the door... So he had two choices. Flee inside with the knowledge of him going after him... or flee outside with the knowledge of him going after him. He found amusement in such horrors.

Well considering the fact that Ren was right in front of him, the man did the first thing that came to mind. He ran inside.

Hyano laughed as she watched the man run for his life. She had to admit it did look like a lot of fun what he was doing. Maybe she should have let him be a part of a haunted house instead of trick or treating... Now that she thought about it. She grinned.

"Ren! Hurry up! I got an idea!" She called, knowing the perfect place for Ren to have the time of his undead life.

The Nazgul actually was about to run in right after the mortal but stopped in his tracks, almost falling face-first on the floor. Luckily the door was there so stopped himself from falling by grabbing onto it. He hissed in shock and looked around, slightly disoriented by the happenings. His invisible gaze soon found her and tilted his head to the side, before glancing at the house, then back at Hyano... then the house... This was a tough decision but in the end slumped his shoulders and hissed, walking back to the wizard.

"What is it?" He asked halfway interested, halfway annoyed by her shouting. He was just about to scare the living hell out of the mortal...

The woman grabbed his hand, taking off down the street.

"You'll see." She said with a grin. It didn't take long until they reached a forest. There was a line of people getting ready to go in, with a man collecting money right at its edge. It seemed to be a small clearing, and the people walked along the road to get into a forest. There seemed to be nothing special about this, however. She ran up to the man and talked to him for a moment. When she got what she wanted she ran back to Ren and grinned up at him. "This is called a haunted forest. People come here to get the Void scared out of them... So essential you are about to get paid to do what you love and if you do it well, which we both know you will, you will get more for it." She explained to him, then pointed to the forest. "So, you want to go in or not?"

All Ren could do was stare at her. Long and hard. Why would people willingly go into a forest they know is scaring them? Perhaps because they know they cannot die? That might be it. Being threatened by a harmless forest is one thing... But having one that can kill you is another. Of course he remembered her rule of not killing... But she didn't say anything about drawing blood... This might be interesting, judging from the many people who wished to go in. He could be the wraith who haunts this forest even if for a few hours... His little hunting ground without having to fight for it with another of his kin... He can feed himself with the terror of these people... The dark being glanced at Hyano again and shrugged, nodding at her proposal.

"If there is no limit in how I do it..." He trailed off, wanting to know how far he can go. The more terrible the better. He could use his shriek to herd out a dozen of people but this might also mean that they would recognize him... He did shriek as well when he killed people a few days ago...

"If you know I won't like it, then don't do it. After that, you are free, so go nuts." The wizard said, waving him off. He knew his limits. He would probably break them more than once and she was sure they would argue over it but for now she wasn't enforcing anything. That is why she isn't saying too much. It would put more limits on his fun now, wouldn't it?

The Nazgul turned on his heels and started walking towards the forest. First, he will have to look around the territory and get to know his environment and what he had at his disposal before doing the actual hunting. He walked as far as he couldn't hear most of the noise coming from the streets and started his exploration, noting the routes of the roads, where they went and where the best hiding places were. He surely wasn't the only one working here but oh well. He will do his best to prove everyone just how terrifying a wraith can be. After a good ten minutes of exploring he finally felt he was ready to cause terror to the visitors, so set to find a good hiding place, having seen the most popular paths the people take. This will be... priceless.

Hyano took a seat on a cart, pulling out her pipe and eating some candy. It was longer than she thought but soon the screams from the forest increased. She smirked.

"I am so going to regret this later." She said as she started to smoke and eat. He was off the hook... for now.

* * *

A group of young teens were making their way in, already freaked out by the number of screams they had heard so far. There were rumors of real ghosts and the grim reaper himself haunting the forest. As usual for their age, they were a bit more confident when entering, saying they don't fear anything but the deeper they went and the more noises they heard, the more they thought about these rumors and the screams of people before them. There were five of them right now, some huddled together, while others, the 'tough and cool' kids were parading in front of them, mocking them while they displayed their bravery.

"D-dudes maybe we should just head home." One said, shaking as he followed his friends.

What drew him to a group was always the scent of fear and uncertainty. These are the easiest to feed from and make them flee head over heels. Ren was already lurking around them, using the darkness around him to the fullest, knowing that mortals have limited sights... he can be anywhere and they won't be able to see him. He stalked the group, hiding behind bushes, stepping carefully and silently with the intention to ambush. Soon enough, when the group was closer to a much darker area, the wraith acted. He hissed, the sound being silent of course, just barely audible but enough to make the humans go alert and try to find him. The fools... he was already in front of them hiding behind the trunk of a tree, then moved behind some bushes again to get to their other side but not before clawing at the trunk of the tree, making sure they hears the scratching noise. Once he was at the other side, he hissed once more, this time far sharper and made sure to change location this time with far more noise, doing as if they are stalked by more than one creature. He settled to wait behind yet another tree, waiting for them to calm down somewhat... if they dare.

The whole group was freaking out now instead of just the one kid.

"I told you we should have gone home!" He yelled, ready to bolt now.

"Oh, quit your whining. The fun is just starting!" The leader of the group yelled back as if this all was nothing but a trip in the fun fair, though, he was just as scared if not more so but there was no way in hell he would let them know that. He gulped and gripped his fists before pushing on, hoping that the others would follow. He would not be weak in front of his friends. No way... At least he wouldn't be the first to run.

The wraith waited for a little while longer to get them to calm down before repeating his tactic from before, making sure they know they are stalked now. He also released a little dark aura to darken their environment and their thoughts right with it, block more vision. Using this, he spotted the slightly more... authoritative person of the group who seemed to want to look brave among them. If he managed to scare him... Oh the screams... But he wasn't just about to let him run. So as soon as he was close to a bush, the wraith didn't waste time to act. He reached out with a sharp hiss an angry cat would do and grasped the arm of the man before pulling him right in with a short-version of a Nazgul shriek, leaving a few nice scratches on his skin, causing some blood to flow while he flung him down onto the ground, putting a foot on his back. Of course he expected the man to struggle but it was quickly dealt with by another low hiss, warning him to stay still... or else. He then reached into his robe and retrieved his sword, which glinted in the scarce light of the moon, nearing dangerously towards his throat.

The rest of the group was done for, turning tail and running while the boy cried out and started to cry in both pain and fear.

"Gah! Don't. Don't!" He cried out for his life, wanting to struggle but was too scared to move. He wasn't able to figure it out. He didn't even notice that his pants became wet. How was a haunted forest so... so real?!

Just as he was about to touch the throat of the mortal with the tip of the sword Ren raised his foot slightly to let him run before forcing him to snap out of it by an even sharper hiss and a sudden move towards him. He wanted him to run... to scream... to beg while he chased him... To tell everyone about the terror... Ah the fear, so delicious and the screams of his comrades was music to his ears. He already liked this forest.

* * *

This sort of event continued for hours until way after midnight. When Hyano was finally satisfied with how long they had been there and the fact that no one would dare go in there again, even those that worked there, she got up collected her money and made her own way in. She had switched her pipe for gum by now. She found this treat to be wonderful. Lasts forever despite its taste going away quickly and she could blow bubbles. Always a good way to entertain the jaw.

"Ren?!" She called between bubbles.

Ren's attention snapped to the girl as she came into his view from his hiding place. His first reaction was a low hiss, satisfied by the appearance of another prey. By this time his wraith instincts were fully awakened and Ren had no longer true control over his actions. He only knew the scent of fear, the screams of terror and the smell of his targets. Nothing else was going through his mind. Thus, he did not recognize his own mate... Laying low now, he started stalking forward, using the thick foliage to his advantage, not answering her call in any way. Instead he attempted to sneak up on her and surprise her. The more closer he went, the more his mind began to clear but it was not yet enough... At this point he recognized that hissing and making noise will not scare her since she knows who it was. But a shock and surprise can never be predicted.

The wizard raised a brow as she noticed he wasn't answering her. Did he want to play longer? Figures he would be this childish.

"Ren! Come on! We need to go home!" She called again, not hearing her friend coming up, stalking her like many of the others he had today. She expanded her senses, hoping to find him that way... however there was a slight problem with that. They were sharing magic now so when she tried to find his magical signature it just felt like her own, making it meld and hard to detect. She made a mental note of this for later. Ren would want to know about this sooner or later... if she could ever find him!

The dark creature peeked above some bushes, knowing very well that his hood is invisible in the darkness, easy to be mistaken for a part of the foliage and waited patiently for her to move. She was staring to the side but turning as well, looking for him, which only was good for his tactic. Each time she turned her back to him, he stalked a little closer, using the bushes and trees as hiding spots. The wraith peered around a tree and noticed he was rather close. Now... time to surprise... He prepared a little, waited a little more... Just a little more... stalking forward now at her turned back, then without warning threw himself at her, wanting to knock her down onto the ground with a sharp hiss.

Hyano gasped as she was caught off guard and as she went down she set off a spell. It was all a reaction, what did he expect?! She sent a spell from her hands to knock off whatever had attacked her from behind, not knowing it was her friend. The difference between scaring a human and an istar is that an istar can blow one into a tree when caught off guard.

Well... the Nazgul wasn't exactly expecting that one. Ren gave a surprised and shocked shriek as he was sent flying, right up a tree where his cloak tangled into many branches, luckily preventing any fall from there, hiding the view of him from the wizard. He stayed silent for a good while, trying to get his bearings and understand what just happened. This was enough to knock some sense into him and get him back to reality. The Ringwraith only moved after a good half a minute, hissing in annoyance when he first noticed just how much he was stuck on the tree... He pulled and twisted on his clothing, being successful until he came to the last branch which was holding onto him tightly. He gave a sharp hiss and pulled on it. Turns out it wasn't a good idea as the branch snapped, which caused him to fall from the tree. Head-first. The wraith landed on the ground in a heap.

Hyano blinked, not being able to see him... until he fell with a shriek.

"... You really didn't see that coming?" She asked as she walked up to him. "If it makes you feel any better you did give me a fright." She said, not wanting him to feel disappointed in his efforts. Even if it did land him in a heap at the trunk of a tree. Besides, he went nuts all day so he did great for a wraith... right?

The Nazgul sat up and shook his head, trying to get his senses back and slowly stood up, clearly disoriented a little. He didn't think she would actually attack him, knowing it was him who lurked about. He won't go and kill her. Well, not anymore since she became useful to him. Or...

"But not enough fright..." He trailed off, disappointed slightly but he quickly recovered and looked around, sniffing their air for his next victim, wanting to make up for this with a good terror but the lack of fresh scents was making him feel like... there was no more prey? What in the...?

"Halloween is over, Ren. Everyone went home. The only people who are out at this hour are us and a few punks who are wrecking a house downtown." The woman said as she stepped up to him and removed a leaf from his shoulder. "So, it's best we just go home now." She said with a smile, thinking since there was no one to scare he would easily concede to these terms.

_Punks? What kind of punks? What are punks, are those humans?_ Ren asked himself and looked at her. If those are still outside then there are plenty people to scare and he wasn't about to let such an opportunity fly by without being grasped.

"Well... then what are we waiting for? Let's get those as well. I am on a roll." He told her, feeling comfortable enough to use a term he heard in the black box when someone talked about being eager to continue their activity. He looked in the direction where they came from, knowing where the car she parked could be. They will need to go to the shop first... He wondered if the decoration he put up is still untouched.

Hyano was about to argue it but sighed and waved it off, deciding she was better off and followed him back towards the shop. She thought this day was for him, so she could be nice. In any case they didn't have to go far because the place that was being destroyed was in fact her shop. The tree humans had closed it up on time as required and when they left... the punks came, broke the glass window and went to town on the inside.

"The Void?!" Hyano's eyes widened when she saw her shop and she quickly ran in.

His decorations! This was the very first thought of the Nazgul as he watched the people rampage through the shop, then saw Hyano run right inside. He didn't waste time to follow suit and ran right in as well. How dare these mortals disrupt his work! How dare they break into one of his territories! It was Hyano's so it was his as well. Wanting to stop the humans, the wraith took a deep breath and hissed very sharply. It was the next best thing he could do aside the shriek, which would more than likely give his true person away. Right now they can easily mistake him for someone with a wraith dress-up. However the hiss should cause some suspicion. Well, he didn't care.

The robbers inside did jump, however one had a gun and quickly put it up.

"Stand by the door or I'll shoot!" He yelled, keeping the barrel held towards the wizard, then towards the wraith, naturally assuming they are harmless people. But oh how wrong he was...

Hyano gritted her teeth, glaring at him. She was half tempted to blow him through the wall... however that would draw attention if the cops came by for the body. She glared, then stepped back slightly before looking towards Ren. She knew the wraith wasn't going to back down just because they had a gun... Oh hell no, these men were likely going to die for breaking into the shop. Damn it... She opened her hands at her sides. To humans it looked like nothing but she assumed Ren could figure out she was ready to use magic on these idiots.

Once more the Nazgul was faced by one of those guns. And once more these stupid mortals think they scared him with it and he will let them chase him off or make him watch what they are doing. There was one thing he knew. After he noticed what they did to his handiwork so far, the wraith knew their ripped bodies will be hung on the next tree by their insides as decoration. How dare they threaten him with their petty weapons! How dare they step up against a Nazgul! How dare they step into his territory without permission! And how dare they destroy his work! He worked on that for hours! They will die for this. He held out one of his armored hands and gestured for Hyano to stand off and hide. While he cannot be damaged by shots, she proved it to him that she was quite vulnerable to them. He wanted to vent his anger on these fools. None will escape! The wraith instead of backing up stepped forward, his hands forming into fists and advanced dangerously towards the man with the gun, wanting to dispatch him first. But first and foremost... he will make him realize just what creature he is facing off against. To realize his helplessness... Oh the screams... He can't wait...

Hyano nodded, taking a step back towards the door but did not leave just in case.

The robber on the other hand glared.

"What are you? Stupid? I said get by the door!" He snapped but quickly realized Ren wasn't listening. Fine. Time to open up his ears. He pointed his gun at the wraith's shoulder and fired not wanting to kill anyone... though he was hardly expecting what was coming.

The sound of the gun going off did make the wraith flinch but considering how many times he heard that sudden snapping sound... he was taking it better than before. While the bullet didn't embed into him, he did feel the pressure and his shoulder snapped to the side a little as if shot but otherwise he wasn't stopped in any way.

The man didn't know what to feel more shocked about. The fact that the bullet was destroyed before it even hit the wraith or the fact that the wraith was left unscathed by the whole event? To any normal human this was a total shock. To the wizard... this was nothing short of expected.

The wraith hissed sharply, extending his dark aura to display to them just what they are up against. He kept advancing and reached into his cloak, the sound of steel sliding against steel whispered in the wind and eventually raised his sword into view, the metal gleaming in the scarce light. He knew he didn't need to say anything. These fools can't understand him anyway. He quickened his pace and quickly went to stab the still surprised or shocked mortal, aiming where he did. At the shoulder. After all... he didn't intend to kill either... this fast.

The man let out a cry of pain and fear as the blade came down into his shoulder. The two others freaked out and tried to make a run for it.

Not happening.

Hyano flicked her hands and the doors all locked and the glass that had been broken fixed itself. She also used another spell to block sound from leaving this building. They weren't going anywhere... and no one would ever know they were here.

As soon as the wraith noticed this he hissed in satisfaction, now knowing he can take his time. And so he did. The screams... the blood... the stench of death were all hidden from the eyes of the people as the wraith slaughtered each of them mercilessly, relishing in their terror as they tried to flee, taking his time, making sure they suffered for their mistake, feeding his mind with their fear... He left the man who shot at him as last, even let him keep the weapon and fire at him as many times he wanted, just to see the helplessness and realization in his eyes, to hear him apologize over and over... listen to his begging. But there was no mercy. By the time he finished, the whole shop became a big bloodbath. Ren didn't care about the decorations anymore... Those were secondary to him. What counted was the kill.

Hyano found herself feeling... indifferent. Normally, when it came to death she was disgusted but today she was feeling like it didn't matter. Like it was almost normal. It was an odd feeling for the wizard... though now that she thought about it she felt this way before. He had trained her to be this way once... a very long time ago but it had happened as her vision showed when she touched Ren's face. She had just forgotten about it... How many had she killed to get that way? Considering her original personality... it could have taken thousands. She shook herself out of her thoughts when she noticed he seemed to be finished.

"Are you done?" She questioned him as she looked around.

The wraith didn't reply instead continued ripping at one of the bloody bodies, not caring if the man was already dead. Just like the corpse in the bathroom at their home, he found it entertaining to watch the flesh part in his hands and feel the power he had over these helpless bodies. The scent of blood was maddening, mesmerizing for the Nazgul, who wasn't even hearing what she said. Most of the decorations were destroyed, cast aside or ripped by the fight and the attempts on fleeing from the humans. Her shop was literally destroyed, the items scattered and broken on the floor, everything was covered in blood. Many trails led from one end of the room to the other, showing the wizard just where the men tried to flee from him in vain. However Ren caught up with them quickly, the large pools of blood signaling the location where he gave them the deathblow.

_And he is gone._ The wizard thought before sighing, then walked up to him, minding the much larger spots where blood and who knows what else resided. When she was behind him she nudged him lightly with her foot. "Oi. Ren. Time to get out of la la land. I need to clean this up as soon as possible." She said. She expected a reaction just from the touch. Likely a violent one but she was ready for it. If needed, she can blow him into the wall as his wake-up call. Either way, she needed to pull him out of his maddened state. It was not helping him anymore.

Just as she expected, the wraith instinct of the Nazgul kicked right in and turned suddenly at the touch, lashing out with a bloody armored hand to defend his prize. It was common among his kind to become territorial around their own kills and to try and get something off from others' kills which ended in many huge fights and a few bodies to be ripped to nine parts by the wraiths. This caused a tension between them when hunting and this situation wasn't more different either. He was acting purely on instinct now and mistaking her for a brother who tried to snatch his kill, he attacked her outright in rage to get her away from it. It was his prey... his kill... And no one will get it.

As planned, she was ready. Hyano jumped back, then slammed her foot down, sending the angry wraith back into the wall. If anything could get him out of his murderous state that would likely be it. She had actually dealt with him once before like this. She had not known better after he killed an orc but he quickly remedied that soon after by explaining what had happened. She doubted he was sorry for it of course but he was kind enough to explain why he had attacked her. She remembered it now...

The attack wasn't as pleasant and it knocked the wraith right back to his senses as it was usual. He groaned and slid down, sitting leaned against the wall for a few seconds before shaking his head and hissing in irritation at what happened, looking around for the cause. Hyano. Of course... So it was her all along? Here he was thinking one of his brothers smelled the kill and wanted him to share. How pathetic he was. He had to remind himself once more that his brothers are all gone, no matter how he hoped they would return. Hissing, the wraith stood up slowly, feeling the same uncertainty grip at him as it did ever since the whispers of his Lord were gone. He was alone indeed, no one to guide him or to keep company... meditate with him... hunt with him... He did not wish to admit it out loud but deep down in his cursed mind he seemed to miss those nights when all Nine of them would go out at the same time, causing a ruckus in whole villages. Alright... maybe Hyano was there but... it wasn't the same. She isn't a wraith and she didn't find entertainment in things he did.

Hyano knew how he felt. However, there was little that could be done about it. She sighed, then stepped up to him.

"We need to leave. I am going to place an illusion on this place to hide all this mess. Take what you want to the car because in a moment it will be gone from sight. This place is too public to leave it all here." She told him, not wanting to waste time. She didn't have the magic to waste on this anymore. They needed to go ahead and leave.

Take what he needed? The Nazgul turned around and glanced at the humans. He never considered taking anything from them but... now that she turned his attention to it... they might have something he thought were valuable. The wraith walked up to the first battered body and searched though and pockets, looking for anything interesting. There were a few... green paper things - unknown to him- money with changes but having no value for them he simply threw them aside and searched further. Nothing at the first... Maybe the others. He searched all of them, claiming a nice wrist watch, a cell phone, a pen and a few other things like a gun and some jewelry which they surely stole from somewhere. He hid it all in his cloak -Lord knows what all is there by now- and walked towards the exit. He will keep these items and add them to his collection.

The orange istar honestly expected him to keep a body part but if all he wanted was their belongings she could live with that too. She waited until he was outside before lifting her hands, then waved them and the chaos started to slowly disappear from sight. Her shop still looked trashed but at least the blood and bodies were invisible. When she was sure that wasn't a problem she stepped back, then out of the shop, locking it behind her. She would handle the mess tomorrow. For now it was time to go home.

By the time she finished, the wraith found time to mess with all the things he got from the mortals. He was sitting in front of the shop, cross-legged, all the items that came from the men were in front of him, being picked at. Ren sorted through them now, throwing what he didn't need after all but keeping most of the strange or glistening items. Jewelry, gems, the watch... and the gun which he had now in his hands. Well, by now it was out of bullets and he was flipping it around in his hands, remembering all what Hyano said about it when that male came to his territory to kill his mate. He didn't even remember if his body was still in the bathroom or not...

Hyano saw him and the gun. She rolled her eyes, then stepped up to the car and opened the door for him.

"Let's go home, Ren. I think we both need some rest." She said, seemingly relaxed considering what just happened. She knew there were probably other robbers in the city somewhere causing trouble but she thought he didn't need to know that. Besides, she was more than a little bit tired by this point. She hadn't even bothered to look at a clock yet but she was quite sure it was somewhere around three or four in the morning.

The Nazgul fumbled with the gun a little more before finally succeeding in popping the magazine out. It fell on the ground and indeed it was empty. The wraith picked it up and looked at it before fumbling again to get it back in.

"I don't. I am fed and powered up." He said quickly, almost in a hyperactive tone, clearly not tired. The fear, terror and blood of these mortals, in addition the horror he could cause in the haunted forest did its wonder with him, refilling his energy somewhat. He didn't pay her any heed right now, instead put the weapon down and started sorting through the other things he got.

"Well... at least you had a good time I guess... got in the car then. You can do whatever when we get home but I need to go to sleep. I still have a few things to do before we leave Middle-Earth soon and I can't really do them half asleep." The wizard said, waving him in. She assumed he could at least agree to that much. With how hyper he was, he would probably destroy her house by the time she woke up but she could live with that. Not like she was staying there much longer anyway.

Ren looked up as she talked about leaving Middle-Earth and stopped what he was doing, watching her. He hummed and glanced back at his things, then back at her, as if he had trouble deciding what he wanted to do. Leaving this world? So soon? But didn't she talk about this before like a distant event? Well, he didn't want to risk it, so after tapping the surface of the watch he was holding the wraith stood, picking up the items and putting them back into his pockets, leaving the items he didn't want on the ground carelessly, then walked to the car, sitting in swiftly. He still couldn't help but take out the gun, continuing to fumble with it.

Hyano flicked her hand, jolting the remaining items outside far away. She did not want stolen goods found on her store front. That was too much drama for her liking. She then walked around the car and jumped in. She took off quickly, sighing as they finally made their way home.

"So... was it as bad as you thought it would be?" The woman asked the wraith with a slight smile.

Ren wasn't really paying attention to her but examined the gun still and according to his actions... he was attempting to pull it apart. However, he heard her question alright and stopped briefly his 'work'.

"The part you wanted me to do was bad and boring. Everything else was entertaining enough." He summed it up quickly and resumed his self-appointed task to find out how it worked by ripping the weapon apart. However he wasn't having any luck with that... and it didn't take long for him to lose interest and turn his attention to the round item on a belt. He looked at it and tilted his head to the side as he watched one of the... long pointers move in a rhythmic manner. He wondered what use it had...

"It is called a watch." The orange wizard told him as she turned on some music. "The little hand measures the hours, the long hand measures the minutes, the skinny hand measures the seconds. Once you figure out how to read one of those things they can be quite useful. Especially when you want to get things done at an exact time." She explained to him as she drove. She always kept an eye on him through the rear view mirror. Mostly because if he got really bored he had a habit of doing some strange things and she did not want him messing up her car. This is how she noticed his confusion over the object he held. She knew better than to explain guns to the wraith. That would take far too long and it was better just to let him figure it out on his own.

The Nazgul tilted his head to the side and reached out to poke the display a few times, knocking on the clear surface. This was something he slightly... thinking by logic... understood. In a way. He thought that humans divided the time of the day for their own convenience and to keep track of it easier but... one can still easily read it all from the position of the sun and moon. To his knowledge and what he saw... the mortals got lazy. Very lazy at that.

"Why do mortals need to make everything so difficult? Nature gives the exact time too." He commented to no one in particular, wondering what caused the humans to become the way they are. If laziness is called 'evolution' then the orcs could be called experts by now. Everything he saw so far was the result of mortals not wanting to work hard. Like... that telephone. They don't want to go and speak to people in person. These cars... They don't want to run, walk or take care of horses. And what about the watch? The mortals are even too lazy to direct their ugly faces to the sky and read it from the sun... He sighed in annoyance and kept poking the watch a little more, noting that if he poked that little button at its side, the small hand started to move as well much faster. Hmm...

"It is a mix of laziness and a want to get more things done. If you look up at the sun to tell time you have to stay still or you are liable to misjudge it. With a watch you can keep walking and you aren't as likely to hurt your eyes. Human eyes are rather fragile, so looking at the sun will hurt them." Hyano replied, even though she knew he didn't need an answer. She was sure he forgot just how easily humans can be broken. They can be hurt in so many ways. She finally came to the 'territory' and parked before getting out. She nearly went to the back to get the candies out before remembering they hadn't brought anything back because it all had been trashed and covered in blood. Oh well. She shrugged before opening the door for him.

"Foolish humans... You don't need to stare right at the sun... Position is enough." Ren hissed, shaking his head at her answer. Well, being lazy and inventing things to be faster and better had its ups and downs as it seems. The single good side in his opinion was that they will get done everything indeed faster and better... The bad side in this is that they simply develop right to it all. The mortals become less fit, less alert, less patient and lose their ability to survive in nature alone. This isn't so bad actually... He could easily take over them with an army... With an army... Yes... he absolutely needed one. By the time he was done bashing the mortals and their stupidity, the door to his side of the car was opened and he stepped out, still holding the watch in his grip. "What will we do tomorrow?" He asked, knowing full well that he still had a single day of playing 'slave' although she was rather soft when it came to commanding his days, so he didn't complain. The day before this was far worse...

Hyano looked at him, then thought for a moment, a smile gracing her lips.

"Something... else."

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**Hope you liked our -once again- extra long chapter for this book.**

**We would like to also thank you, our Dear Readers, for the wonderful reviews.**

**Each review, fav, follow is like a hug. **

_CA Productions_


	10. New Acquaintances

**Cub: Oh bloody hell it's Wednesday. Uuuuugh.**

**Avp: What is so bad about Wednesday?**

**Cub: The day? Nothing.**

**Avp: Then why are y- *Yelps as Ren runs in screeching as young Hyano runs in after him yelling 'Hump!'* … Hump day?**

**Cub: They don't even know what it means but apparently Ren hates that word and Hyano has been having far too much fun with it every Wednesday since I told her about it.**

**Avp: Oh… well then… Happy Hump day everyone and enjoy the show!**

_CA Productions_

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Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Chapter 10 - New Acquaintances

Hyano sang and laughed as she slid across the recently cleaned kitchen floor.

She had her music blasting as she continued to fill the basket on the counter with fruits, vegetables and sandwiches. Sometimes she forgot she had someone else living with her now and she would fall back into her old habits. When one lives alone, no one cares how one sings or dances. One just does and has a good time doing it. She was obviously in a good mood. Who wouldn't be? She was going to go out and have a good time with some friends of hers at the park. She had several things planned from going to the park to going to the zoo, then going stargazing. Maybe she was planning too much but she hadn't been out in weeks! She sometimes missed when she would go running out in the woods. No walls. No rules. No boundaries.

Ren had been attempting to ignore her.

As long as she was occupied with herself, he can do as he wanted and she will not command him around. Last night was something he will never mention to anyone. Once gaining back his rightful authority, he will order her to forget it altogether and never dare to bring it up. It was humiliating... His pride was shattered, his rank was challenged... He hissed at the memory. He really tried to hide and just wait it out but as it seemed his mind was far more curious about what she was doing. She was giving out sounds he never heard before and was moving like her body was jerking about and was under the effect of a foul poison. He tilted his head to the side in silence as he watched her from the doorway, halfway hidden behind it as he observed her and her... unusual... antics. If he can call it that. His mind found mild amusement in watching this, his hooded head shifting and following her movements.

Hyano bopped from side to side before spinning around, then screamed and fell over when her green eyes met the shadowy figure, boosting Ren's pride a bit when she finally noticed him and was surprised, hitting herself in the process.

"Uuuugh... You know, you are very good at being quiet when you want to be. Now if only we could fix your balance problem." She grumbled as she sat up and rubbed her head, then jumped up to her feet and smiled at him. "You are done meditating already? I thought you would be at it all day." She inquired as she turned to continue her work. She just needed to find the juice boxes.

Her fall made Ren ask himself who is the one who needs to work on balance. He tilted his head to the side at her question and as usual he answered with the typical honesty he always used.

"No. I just decided to find out why you are screaming and moving like you are dying." He told her with a hiss, then simply pushed away from the doorway and prepared to go back to the basement when his senses caught sight of something on the table. He couldn't help but feel that uncanny interest surface within his mind and stepped into the kitchen, walking up to the basket, reaching out with a clawed hand and poked it once, unsure what it was. He even tensed up after as if expecting it to jump at him. "What is this?" He asked, tilting his head to one, then to the other side.

Hyano rolled her eyes at his comment about her singing and dancing, then blinked as he started to treat the picnic basket like a bomb.

"It's a basket, Ren. It is full of food and drinks I'm taking with me when I go out today." She explained simply. It still caught her off guard how many simple things he didn't know about. She turned towards the fridge, reaching out and pulling out a pack of juice boxes before walking back and tossing it in the basket. "See?"

"Go out?" Was the very first question that came to Ren's mind when she informed him about her plans for today. He didn't remember giving her the permission to go anywhere... And as usual, he forgot that today she has full control about his actions and so about hers too. But of course, his curiosity about the basket didn't end there. It was made of an unusual material. He never saw anything like it but also couldn't see all that was inside due to it being too high for him. He reached out and shifted the container, then pulled it down slightly to gaze inside and tilted his head to the side. "So you are going for... a few weeks?" He asked, judging by the content. She usually consumed just a few things a day and this will be enough for more than just a few. So he assumed she will spend a few days away... But wait... "Where are you going?" He asked in his usual authoritative tone, certain that she owes him an explanation and needs his permission to be gone for so long.

"Hmm? No I'm not going for a few weeks. Just a day. I should be back by tonight at the latest." The wizard replied to the first inquiry, watching him closely to make sure he didn't tip over the basket. "I'm just going to be out with a number of other people. Remember the dark skinned group from yesterday? I am going out with them. They are friends of mine so I scheduled some hang out time with them. As for where... Not fully sure. The park and a few other places more than likely." She explained, not bothered by his questions. He always did. For a moment she honestly forgot she was the one in control. It wasn't like she got control very often after all.

Go out? Spending time with other people? These were foreign terms in Ren's vocabulary, seeing he was used to her being only around him. Why would she want to be around others? He was her Lord, her only companion and never should she bond with anyone else. Or else she might get second thoughts... although he had yet to truly consider her trustworthy after what she has done, or better yet... hasn't done.

"I don't think so." The wraith hissed, shaking his hooded head slowly, leaving the basket alone for now and turned towards the wizard instead. "Why would you go? There is no reason to. Besides... we just came back not long ago... Why would you desire to leave so suddenly?" He asked, wondering what her motivation was in this matter. In addition... what about him? He will not be able to leave... Although... it wouldn't be too bad, since she cannot command him around... and this is the last day of this nightmare.

The orange-robed woman raised a brow at him.

"Seriously, Ren? I'm going out because it is something I will enjoy. And yes. I am going." She told him bluntly, putting her hands on her hips. Ren was a pain in the neck but at the moment she remembered he was the pain in the neck she had control over and she would gladly put him back in his place. "I would take you along with me but someone refuses to change their clothes and if I remember correctly you are also wanted on several counts of murder." She added bluntly. It was his own fault, so of course she had no sympathy for him. If anything, she was mildly annoyed with the fact.

"Yesterday I was out and about and nobody seemed to mind, neither did they become suspicious when others were dressed like me." The wraith pointed out, his mind only seeing this detail but leaving out the fact that yesterday was an event and many dressed in an unusual manner, thus he did not stand out so much. But now that everything went back to normal he would be quite a... strange sight. Maybe a late Halloween celebrator? Or they would finally recognize the murderer in him. "Besides... those clothes are pathetic. I don't want to blend in! I want to stand out and instill fear!" He hissed and turned around, his back facing her and crossed his silver-gauntleted arms over his cloaked chest in stubbornness.

Hyano rolled her eyes.

"My 'order' still stands, Ren. Either you change your clothes or you stay here. Period." She said bluntly, knowing full and well that there was no winning this argument. Not because she wasn't right but because he wouldn't care enough about the facts for it to matter. She perked up when she heard knocking on the door. It was a heavy handed knock too. That meant her company had arrived. She mentally cursed and was about to tell him to go to the basement when the door opened and in ran the little girl.

Ren didn't hear the approaching footsteps due to his mind and senses being preoccupied with the wizard and by the time his ears told him of the sound and his nose warned him about the familiar yet unusual scents it was already too late. He tensed up when the door opened and froze in place, only moving his hooded head down once the small dark dwarf appeared in his line of sight.

Lilly was of course normally dressed now and had that usual wide smile on her face, her darkly colored eyes sparkled with the joy she felt for being able to spend some time with her friend but stopped at the kitchen door when she saw Ren. She stared at him a moment the same way as he did at her before looking back at the front door.

"Daddy! The little monster grew up!" She shouted and pointed at Ren.

The Nazgul watched the little creature as they stared at one another, exchanging curiosity, then tilted his head to the side and uncrossed his arms when he heard much heavier steps coming from the door. So this one wasn't alone? By the time he looked up, he saw the shadow of a more robust person appear at the doorway about to turn.

Hyano smiled at the little one.

"Hey, sweetie. You know your dad hates it when you run ahead of him." She said kindly.

The little girl giggled before running back to her father and jumped up, climbing up into his arms like he was a tree and not a man. This only worked with other tree herders, though. If she was to try and jump into a regular man's arms... well to say the least she was a lot heavier than a regular child.

"Will. I'm in the kitchen and before you freak out... I can explain." Hyano called to the father whose real name was Willow but they always called him Will. She knew there was no hiding Ren now, so she had to just play this by ear.

Just as she uttered this, the massive herder male appeared at the doorway with his little cheerful daughter sitting on his arm. His eyes first seemed to search for the 'little monster' in the same height as he was when they last saw him but in the end his gaze only found the boots and cloak, so traveled upwards to the hood of the creature. Instantly there was the smallest of tension within his body and slowly but surely began to put down Lilly and nudged her towards her mother. He found it was better for all of them if she joined the others while they talked. He then crossed his arms over his muscled chest and his dark gaze found Hyano, silently awaiting an explanation with a raised eyebrow. His eyes flickered from the wizard to the... man... or thing... he didn't know. Though, the being watched him the same way as he did, tensing up the same way, clearly feeling the distrust between one another.

Hyano sighed. "This is Ren. He is a real Ringwraith. Back many years ago he was also one of my dearest friends. He is a prick, thick-headed and talks like a high pitched warg more often than not, however he won't hurt you or anyone else." She assured him as she watched the two closely. She was more worried about Will. Will was a cop so if anyone could figure out exactly who Ren was to this city it was him which made her worry he might go for his gun at any moment. The man never went anywhere without the damn thing after all. The humans weren't too kind to herder people, so they were forced to defend themselves and keep weapons about. Too many times are they forced to use them.

As expected, Will's frame tensed up even more when Hyano revealed what the herder male already began to speculate about this creature. Ringwraith... He heard this word before... He could remember a book from his youth which he read. It contained many stories and tales, most of them true and real, teachings and warnings of the past for those who wished to remember them. Many talked about the war, the darkness and the Nazgul. Or Ringwraiths as one also called them in the common tongue. Once man, now lieutenants of the dark forces... They were told to be immortal, invincible and unable to die. And as it seems, most of these must have been true... Not even time and the lack of magic could kill them as it seemed. But there was also something else. He knew this thing. Indeed thanks to his profession and the many reports he read... he knew what he was staring at. He did not care about all she said; there was only one thing in his mind.

"He is a murderer." He said, speaking up in his incredibly deep, strong voice, almost sounding like the ents of old. This was all he told her, nothing else, this containing all his thoughts. He was a wanted criminal, killed numerous people in cold blood... And he should trust a creature like that with his family? Never...

"He won't hurt you because he isn't even coming, Will. He is stuck in this house. Relax. I won't expose your children or your wife and you can come back and make your own observations of him later. However he is immortal and the people in the police department won't be able to handle him. Calling this in would be a horrible mistake. Now... can you take the basket so we can go?" The wizard said, waving towards the basket. She heard the door creak open and blinked as Lilly ran in yet again before her mother could get a hold of her.

She ran right up to Ren and grabbed his arm. "You're the little monster from yesterday right? How did you grow up? Can I do it too? What is your name? Want to be friends? Do you like games? Why are you so black?" She asked, not even seeming to breathe between each question. Children. They just never seemed to contain themselves. However, in this case she did not blame the poor little girl. Being one of the few herder children in this city, she was not liked among the humans. Despite her age and state they still treated her like an outcast. She never had any friends outside her kind and Hyano. Lilly was just desperate to make friends and she saw the opportunity now...

Will visibly tensed up majorly once the little girl ran up to the creature, his gaze turning swiftly towards the two, clearly about to snatch Lilly away from the being no matter what it will do. He heard what this one is capable of doing, having killed women, old people, attacked children, young people... It didn't seem to make a difference between who can defend themselves and who cannot. A vile creature that needed to be locked away as soon as possible to never be let out. That would be when he would calm down but until this monster was out and about... he cannot call her home safe enough for his family to visit.

In the meantime Ren tensed just the same when the little dark dwarf decided to latch onto his arm. He gave a surprised hiss and something akin to a small growl as he stared at the little thing on his arm. He didn't understand a word she said, so just stared at her and tilted his hooded head to the side, then the other and began to pull his arm away. In vain. Because as soon as he raised his arm, she went right along, standing first on the tips of her toes, then after a bit of effort from the wraith she was lifted off of the ground. She was heavy... Even Ren could tell. He started to shake his arm as if he was trying to get rid of something disgusting and annoying but he had no luck. The little being still had her arms wrapped around his limb. After a few more violent shakes he finally slumped his shoulders and turned his hooded head towards the wizard as if asking her to solve the situation for him. He knew he cannot outright attack her... The other bigger being would lash out, sensing the aggression he emitted. Not like he couldn't fight back... The one losing would be that big man but after what all happened yesterday he would rather just sit on the couch and watch his show... He didn't need another chase from the soldiers.

Hyano couldn't help a light laugh, noticing how the little girl not only clung to the larger creature but swung like he was a jungle gym and not a being that could kill her at any moment.

"Told you." Hyano said to the father before walking over to Lilly and taking her by her sides. She gave them a light squeeze making the little girl laugh and let go in order to cover her sides from the tickling. Hyano nearly dropped her, given how heavy she was but caught her just in time and held the little girl to her chest. "You are getting far too big for this, Lilly." She said before putting the girl down and waving for her to go to her father. "Alright. Grab the basket and let's go. Ren... don't cause any trouble while I'm gone. Everything better be in one piece when I get back." She called, waving for Will to come on so they can leave already.

Everything happened so fast. Ren didn't have the time or the opportunity to say a single word and the people were already out the door, clearly wanting to get away from him as soon as possible. So here he stood, in the middle of the kitchen, his hooded head still staring in the direction where Hyano's voice came from and his arm was cradled by the other as if he managed to pull it away from something diseased or disgusting, wiping at it as if it was dirty. After what seemed like hours the Nazgul finally stepped out of the kitchen and stopped in the middle of the living room, his invisible gaze travelling from the door to the empty room. His ears were met with silence, his senses detected no movement. He was alone after weeks of company in the large house.

Good.

The wraith shrugged and sat down on the couch, reaching over to the remote device and poked the button to switch the black box on, his sight meeting the show he used to watch. At least she isn't bothering him with orders today and not like she will stay out all day... Right?

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_\- Hours later -_

Will sighed and put his laughing and giggling daughter down on the ground from his shoulders, letting her run along with her older brother, watching as the two made their way towards the very first animal they got their eyes on in the zoo, their oldest daughter following behind although with less enthusiasm. They spent most of the morning and the beginning of afternoon at the park nearby, enjoying the soft grass, the silent dance of leaves and branches of trees, while the gentle breeze blew around them. They ate and discussed, although only his wife did most of the talking as usual, while the herder man kept an eye on their children as they ran around. There was much to talk about and Hyano indicated a far greater topic for later, which kept the ent man on edge and tense slightly but he did not show. There was some kind of a foreboding within him and his mind still did not get over the fact that she lived with and protected a murderer as the wraith within her home. But he did not wish to ruin the day, so simply let the topic rest for now, instead followed his family silently and carefully, being the watchful protector he always was.

Hyano gave the mother a nod for her to go on ahead as well before looking to the taller herder father.

"... Lilly is doing well today... but from what your wife has been texting me lately... her condition at nights is getting to the point where you have been hardly sleeping lately." She said, her voice calm. No one could tell by looking at the energetic little girl but she was hardly as strong as everyone else thought. Strong willed maybe but not strong in body and it seemed to be getting worse. She was born with a weak heart, making them wonder if she will live through her childhood. They managed to get her a surgery, giving them hope once her cheerful self could run around like everyone for a while... but in the past years she became slower. "You worry her surgery might not have been enough." She added more of a statement than a question. She noted how the little girl slowed down her run slightly as her brother ran ahead to see the next animal, however the little girl didn't complain. She worked hard to make sure no one could tell she was having a harder time catching her breath but the wizard still saw and wished there was something she could do, however there was not.

The answer of the herder man was a heavy sigh and a brief shake of his head. Lilly was sick again, weakening each day. It was something hard to see but Will could very well spot it. Whenever they are on a longer trip for example she would crouch to tie her already tied shoe to rest in hopes that they wouldn't see... But he did. And it was tearing at his very being. But he wouldn't say a word... Not to her, letting her be happy that she doesn't worry anyone. His expression changed just slightly, a single muscle moving to express just a tiny part of his concern for his little daughter.

"She needs a wonder..." He finally uttered, his words short, to the point, not sugarcoating the truth. Lilly was not doing well... and he was very afraid that it won't take long for her to find final peace... Many wouldn't want to think about such things but Will, just like his brethren, were people who saw reality. They did not like to live in a dream that can never be.

"No... She needs to move." Hyano replied as the little girl laughed and tried to get her sister, Rosa, into the fun as well. However the eldest herder child seemed a little less into the whole thing. She always was, always seeming reluctant to let her guard down. The middle herder, Cane, seemed to be alright but the truth was he was always making sure they were as far from the other children and non-herders as possible at all times. He just never let it show too much so the littlest one couldn't tell. "They all do, Will... And I think I have the perfect solution. I have told you before that sooner or later I would not be able to stay in this world any longer. My own body would not allow it... that is part of why I have the wraith with me at the moment. He cannot be allowed to stay here either... so... sooner... will be soon." She said calmly and waited for him to catch on to the offer she was putting out to him.

The ent man stopped in his tracks and stared forward as his mind processed what was being said, catching on it sooner than the wizard might have predicted and slowly but surely shifted his dark brown, almost black gaze towards her, staring at her in silence at first. Yes, he could tell what she was suggesting and offering and it might be a dream come true for most, seeing they will be able to see all those magical beings who roamed this world before their time, they would be able to see and feel magic itself... but Will and his kin were never those who jumped into everything without thinking. It might sound good... Too good. But as everything new, this one was full with hidden threats. For one, Lilly's condition might be dangerous by now but she gets the most secure care here in the hospitals. This she will not get in any new worlds. Who knows what kind of twisted beings would wait for them and he wouldn't have the security of knowing the place. He would be just as new and vulnerable, unable to completely protect his family. Not to mention that the wraith will apparently come too.

"What would make it better?" He asked her, wishing to know why she thinks it was a better solution than say... another surgery.

"The moment Lilly sets foot in the new world your people's old DNA will become activated by the magic there. It will take time but eventually that may be able to allow Lilly to not only recover but become stronger than she ever would from any surgery. Also... it would allow them to start over anew." Hyano explained to him calmly. There were some risks of course, however a surgery was not guaranteed. Just like the first time it may only be a patch on a condition that would only become worse and worse again. However, this might offer a permanent solution. It would also offer the two older ones a chance to turn over their lives. Rosa had closed herself off from everyone. Cane was always afraid of everyone. Not because he thought they would hurt him but because he was scared of hurting others. For a good reason, considering all that had happened. Herder males have large physical strength and endurance... Humans would not stand a chance.

Will simply averted his gaze from the wizard and stepped after his family, wishing to take some time to think about this. There were a lot of things to consider and he cannot let a single goal blind him. There were dangers, uncertainty, threats, and a lot of issues and troubles that might make their lives just as bad as if they would stay here... It was a onetime offer and nobody would ever get the chance to do all this... They might be the only ones of their kin who get to see the new world... This made him wonder about the motivation of the orange istar. Why them? There are a lot of herder families that are much worse off than them and yet she offered this only to them so far... So why would she consider them as worthy of this and not the rest? There was a feeling of belonging and they knew that once they set foot out of Middle-Earth... they will be on their own.

"May..." Was the only thing he said, repeating the uncertain word she said when talking about Lilly's future. No matter where they go... It will only stay 'may'.

"Will... No magic... no person but the Valar themselves can promise you what your daughter's fate might be." Hyano told him honestly, patting his back softly like she had when he too was a child. He had gone through hard times his whole life. Anything from drugs to gangs to being homeless. For him she had practically been his whole family at one point because besides his older brother, Valar rest his soul, he had no one else. That is until he met Holly, his wife, and started his current family. "Will... I cannot promise this will save your daughter's life... but I can promise that it a surgery wont. The one she already had has proven that. It is a patch on the problem at best and given she has already had one and it didn't work... when it comes time that she needs another one... I can promise that the doctors will refuse... They will see what I see... and will see her as too much of a risk." She explained to him.

The man didn't say a word just took a step forward towards his family, wishing to join them now. He didn't have anything to say as it all will need to be thought about. He will need to see all sides, all perspectives... Indeed the Valar, those who guide them and their actions would be the ones who can answer all his questions but they don't talk, they don't give answers. They only ask more until he finds the answers himself deep within. To say the least, Hyano is the only one who can be considered close to the Valar... And that she asked them... Does this mean they told her to ask them or they guided her to do so to save his daughter? He didn't know. He can only believe what he sees and right now... there was no future that he can see.

Hyano watched him walk, then sighed. She would let him be with his family for now. Just some time to think was all he needed.

Lilly turned around when she sensed her father and grinned. "Daddy!" She called, then ran up to him and yet again climbed up into his arms. "Look at the long necks! Aren't they big? They make you look like a bug." She said with a laugh as she pointed to the huge giraffes. She always loved animals. They were just so much fun and different than the other things she saw in her life. The city was a sad place with a lot of faces that all act the same. But animals were true and different.

Will's expression only changed faintly, the tiny smile at the comment of his daughter was invisible to the naked eye but not to the herder people. The men of their kind rarely if ever showed emotion, staying the strongest and most effective protectors of their kin and family but their children and women understood every inch of their movements, the smallest of sounds and the tiniest twitch of a single muscle. He let Lilly climb up his arm and guided her to sit on his shoulders so she can be that much closer to the head of the enormous animals as one leaned slightly out of their enclosure, the giraffe perking its large ears at the strangely nice smelling people and flared its nostrils to take in the scent before sticking out its long tongue at the little girl.

Lilly laughed as the creature licked her face. "Daddy, I think it likes me." She said between laughs. Animals always loved them because they smelled so sweet naturally. Some more than others of course but all still smelled sweet enough to be loved by all living beings. Well all but some. A distance away whispers could be heard as some groups of humans watched the family, their eyes sometimes flickering towards them as they leaned closer to one another to share some words and thoughts, heavily judgmental opinions. Herders did not have especially good hearing but that did not make them deaf. Lilly seemed to ignore it as usual. She was too light-hearted to be hurt by words just yet, despite knowing they were about her. However, the older siblings weren't so. Rosa put a hand on her younger brother's shoulder who was tense and tried not to show he cared what was being said. It was always said. Their mother had a sympathetic look but she knew there was little she could do. It was just a part of their life, really.

Much like the rest of the family, Will did all he could to ignore the whispers, teaching them to not pay any heed to them. They are just words and he was content until it doesn't develop to actions. Though, there was only as much one can take, so the male herder simply backed away from the animal, deciding to bring his children to the next enclosure to watch the rhinos instead who showed less attention to them, just grazed on the tiny grass that was put into their place for now. They wanted to enjoy their trip, and that is what they are going to do, no humans will destroy their fun today.

Lilly, of course, was disappointed that they had to leave the big creatures but smiled when she saw a new group. "Woooooow! They are sooooooo fat." She exclaimed, not meaning to sound rude. However she was only a child, so being able to edit herself didn't really become a part of her personality just yet.

Hyano laughed lightly from where she was and saw the rest of her family do the same. It was nice to be that naive. Made her wish she could be that way once again. She picked up on the whispers as well by this point and looked over her shoulder, then flicked her hand. A gust of wind came up behind two individuals specifically and made them trip like they had slipped on a banana peel. This made her smile grow slightly before she looked back to the big gray beasts like she hadn't done a single thing.

* * *

_\- Some hours later - _

Hyano stepped into her home with Will right behind her. She looked around. Surprisingly the place was still in one piece... for some reason that made Hyano uneasy.

"Ren?!" She called out into the house.

Will raised a brow but beside that said nothing. He was tense. Hyano wanted him to come and... take an impression of this being and decide if it was safe to be around him or not. Honestly, he already had his impression and had no plans of bringing his family within ten feet of that monster if he had his way. However, he may not have a choice in the end. He still didn't fully understand why Hyano was taking care of this thing in the first place.

The living room was empty and there was no sound from the Nazgul aside of the characters' deaths echoing from the TV in front of the couch. He apparently either didn't want to shut it down or found something else to do and forgot about it. It would be not the first time... Her electricity bills must be as high that the company will be rich just through her. But otherwise nothing was misplaced in the room. The basement was also dark and empty, only the items the wraith hoarded were within the corner. Or perhaps the creature was lost within the pile? The bathroom was just as empty, neither was her bedroom touched. The wraith was nowhere to be found.

Strange...

Hyano groaned and waved for Will to take a seat which he did and turned off the TV. He didn't watch TV very often and already knew how crazed the world was just from his time at work. He didn't need more reminders at home.

Hyano grumbled as she walked the house before coming to his huge pile. She kicked it a few times. "Ren? Ren, if you are in there... get out. Need to talk to you."

However, the pile simply just fell apart and the items scattered at the movement she made, revealing that it was indeed empty. The wraith was not there and he probably didn't touch any of his collection for the past hours. So the basement is empty too... just like the house.

Hyano blinked as the pile deflated like a bubble, then groaned.

"Hide and seek, huh... Alright fine. Guess he deserves a game for being good while I was gone." She said before turning and starting to walk around the house. She passed by Will once who tilted his head just slightly. She waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Just sit and relax." She told him before going upstairs to check and see if he was in any of the upper rooms. Attic maybe?

But the attic was just as empty. There was nobody in the upper rooms either. If anything, some dust already collected on the floor and there were no footsteps visible. Thus, the wraith -knowing his clumsy ways of going around new environment- couldn't have gone around this place either.

"Aw damn." The wizard said as she looked over the attic before bolting out and running around the house in a way where Will could hear her running from one side to the other in a mad search for the wraith. She was worrying now. Didn't she tell him not to leave the house? He had sworn to follow her orders and now this? She wasn't sure which feeling was stronger actually. Her worry or her anger. "Ren!" she screamed as she went into the kitchen now and made her way to the backdoor. She had searched the house up and down by this point so she assumed she would look outside and try to see if there were any signs of where he went outside. Maybe he somehow got onto the roof? If he did, then she was going to leave him there until sunrise tomorrow.

The yard was empty, the same way as the house itself, no wraith was visible for the naked eye and he seemed to leave no traces behind. However, there was something that gave his position away all too quickly. There was a hiss sounding from above the yard, clearly coming from the only place she had yet to look.

The roof.

How he managed to get up there was a mystery but the Nazgul she was looking for have been spending the past hours up on the roof, although the hiss did not come from him. Instead he found interest in something there, so went to look and now he was sitting there facing the edge of the roof itself, clearly having trapped something fluffy and small between himself and the long drop below.

Hyano stepped out and blinked and looked up.

"Son of a warg... Ren! What in all of Middle-Earth are you doing up there?!" She yelled up at him, raising a brow at the idiot she once called a mate according to his belief. Good question was also how had he gotten up there and how much damage did he cause doing it?

Said wraith did not answer her but another hiss sounded which was not released by him again. Instead he was sitting -miraculously- patiently close to the edge of the roof, staring at the creature which he managed to trap. It was a cat. It looked much like the fake one he left behind in the living room on the couch but this one actually... moved, gave out sounds, and had a heartbeat and body warmth. It wasn't fake.

Ren honestly thought that all these creatures are fake and there is no more nature out there. But then he heard some kind of sounds outside and saw this critter on the trashcans nearby. He instantly found himself at the yard to take a closer look. Of course the cat felt his dark aura and was spooked, so fled up the tree nearby, then jumped on the roof, feeling safe there. However Ren did not give up but decided to attempt and go after it. The tree had a few scratch marks, the wall was not shown any mercy either. But how he managed to actually get on was a mystery. The cat was clearly stressed by now and its tail moved like a flag in a harsh wind, staring at the empty hood of the creature.

Hyano twitched, then sighed before she began giggling, then started laughing as she realized just how hilarious this all was. The being that acted more like a cat than a man had gone out of his way to catch a cat and now was stuck on her roof.

"Ren! You should get down or I'm just going to leave you up there until sunrise!" She called up to him once she had settled, then stepped back so she was able to look up at him and the creature fully. "And if you don't let go of that cat soon you are going to scare it to death and then it won't be fun anymore!" She added, trying to convince him to show the poor thing some mercy.

Ren tilted his head to the side, then leaned a bit away to look down at the wizard once she giggled, giving a sharp hiss at her daring move of laughing at him. If she has the guts to do it, he shall see how much guts she will have tomorrow. This being the very last day of the forced slavery he had to endure. His attention however was averted once he heard a growl coming from the black furry creature whose tail looked like one of the fir trees and moved like a snake about to lash out; its bright big yellow eyes kept staring at him almost seemingly emotionless. He felt almost... mesmerized by those slim pupils and the way it watched him. He felt drawn to it, so reached out with a gauntleted hand and saw as the feline hissed, opening its maw wide, showing off the white fangs in its mouth and the pink tongue, its ears moving against its skull and in the next moment it smacked the metal with its claws. It was like the flash! It was clear Ren will not move from his spot for a while. Or if not forced to...

"Oh Reeeeeen... I do believe you still have to do as I say." Hyano called up to him again with her arms crossed as she waited. Bloody dishtowel was so stubborn sometimes.

If he could sigh, the wraith surely would have, instead he just shrugged and stood up, knowing he will have to do exactly as she said indeed with no exceptions as it was their deal and he would be damned if he went against his own word that he gave. However, the sudden movement caused the small feline to hiss sharply and jump in fright, which shifted its position and flew right over the edge of the roof, plummeting downwards with its body twisting, attempting to bring its paws below its body and land on them. But well... from such a height...

Hyano's eyes widened and before she could think twice she ran and jumped, catching the cat and landing on her back hard with the little fur ball in her arms. No matter how hard she tried she was always a caretaker of animals. She groaned. She wasn't sure what hurt more... the ground under her back or the claws in her chest or her head. Yes, her head which hurt the most because of that crazy prick on her roof.

"Ren! Get down now!" She yelled up at him.

She didn't even utter the command fully and a loud thud and crash could be heard not far, a black blur passing by her line of sight with a few bits of the roof following behind, dropping on top of the tangled cloak that lay on the ground now, and causing Hyano to nearly jump out of her skin. Soon enough, Ren sat up suddenly, the pieces of bricks and slates flying from his body with the swing. He clearly did not even notice the sheer damage that this fall and the falling debris should have caused him, instead he was already eyeing the small feline which not only increased its grip on the wizard at the sound of the crash but also refused to let her go anymore, knowing it was far more safe with her. She was giving off an aura of calm and security; of course it was seeking it from her now.

Hyano sighed and looked down to the creature in her arms. She stroked behind its ear softly. She would tell it everything was alright and that Ren was not someone to worry about too much but sadly animals had long since lost their ability to communicate. Before she could go endlessly back and forth with the creatures of these lands but like the trees they only live to live now. While it seems they are still wise and have personalities it is all an illusion. Much like a wraith can give off an illusion of emotion.

Ren tilted his hooded head to the side and brushed his cloak a bit to get some of the dust off before he approached the wizard along with the feline, who in turn only dug its claws deeper into the clothes and skin of Hyano, its growling increasing and its fur rising to make itself appear bigger than it was. It showed absolutely no desire to release her from its grip, but sought defense and security in her instead, not even realizing that it is also causing her pain. Of course, the wraith stopped after a while, gazing at the creature curiously and pointed at it.

"It is not fake." He stated as if it was the greatest discovery of mankind since the entire history of Middle-Earth.

Hyano cringed. "Yes... Very much alive... and very much hurting me. Do me a favor and step back a few steps, Ren." She told him, thinking that was the best way to get the being on her chest to relax its claws out of her chest. This hurt! "The fake cat you got is based on this real one. It is kind of like how your models of building are based on the real ones as well." She explained, hoping that would help ease his curious behavior slightly.

"But I want it!" Came the hiss of the wraith but still stepped back, voicing his desire in words but did as she told him due to their deal, though he was doing everything in his power to keep his hands to himself and not to launch himself at the animal. "I found it. It is mine now." He said, handing it the same way as an item in the past. Which wraith found the shiny gems and artifacts first got to keep it, although fights were bound to break out between them for their property. Now wasn't any different. He wanted the animal and he will get it.

The cat however had other ideas and while the wraith stepped back and the being loosened its grip on the clothes of the wizard, its claws were still sunk deep enough. She won't get rid of it so soon...

"Ren. It is not a thing. It is a living being and unlike Ship it is very unlikely to stay in one place and follow orders." She replied, then sighed and sat up groaning from the pain in her back, worked herself to standing. "Just relax... It isn't going anywhere anytime soon. You, however, have a guest inside who would like to meet you. Be nice and show no hostility. We need him convinced you aren't aggressive." She told him, nodding to the door, going inside. She wanted to go ahead and get this over with. Maybe at some point the cat would relax and she could get rid of the damn thing.

The wraith tilted his head to the side at the command and couldn't help but feel confused, his Nazgul self finding no logic in all that she said.

"But I am aggressive and am not a pet. Why should I play something I am not? I am proud of my nature and will not hide it. If anything, people should hide from me!" Ren hissed and averted his invisible gaze and hooded head from her stubbornly. He is not someone who can change who he was at will. He will lash out at those who deserve it and if he feels like it. Nobody but his Lord shall tell him to hide his hostility. Witch that he stepped after her and stopped at the doorway, having not expected an intruder on the couch, so gave a warning hiss at him before just staring.

Smooth start there, Ren... Really smooth...

Hyano rolled her eyes, then looked at Will who showed no visible reaction to the wraith's hiss. None that she could see anyway. Hyano however noticed how he grew slightly stiffer and his eyes grew harder towards the wraith.

"Ren, you remember Will. Will, you remember Ren." She introduced them to one another quickly, of course speaking to the Nazgul in Black Speech. "Ren, I am asking Will's family to come with us when we leave. They may be of some help to us in the new world. Be nice." She told him, before looking at Will who said nothing, though, she could tell he was taking a mild interest in what she was saying but would not ask.

Ren shifted his attention from the man to his servant and watched her for a while in return of her plans, then turned back to stare at the man, tilting his head to the side in the process to signal his curiosity towards him. So... this one will become a servant, then? Someone who will do as he said? Or is it another uncertain plan from the creature he called 'mate' which will backfire quickly? He wasn't sure about it and honestly thinking and plans were never his strongest points. The wraith just... stood there, watching him from where he was, not approaching. He wasn't sure what to think, how much this thing knew and what he was planning to do...

Will sat calmly on the couch. He noted how quiet the other was and remembered his hisses were quite a bit like the cat's in Hyano's arms before. He thought for a short moment before standing and walking towards him, then held his hand out to shake. It was a test to see the being's reaction to his gesture. Any negative or positive reaction would be taken into account accordingly. He already knew this being was a murderer. He had seen the reports, followed everything that was happening. Ren was lucky he hadn't been put on the force sent to get him. All he went against were humans. Herders were not as easy to kill as humans.

Ren met this gesture before but for the death of him he couldn't remember what it was, what it meant and what he was supposed to do. So all he did was lower his hooded head and invisible gaze towards the hand and stared at it long and hard, not sure what he was supposed to do with it. He looked at either side of the hand to see if he was holding out something as an offering maybe but... there was nothing. The Nazgul then raised his gaze to look at the man before returning to watch the hand silently.

Hyano snickered at the reaction. Will on the other hand tilted his head slightly but did not move otherwise.

"Ren. Take it lightly in your hand and give it a calm shake up and down." The wizard instructed him.

Will was not sensing any hostility but that could change at any second. He was ready to bring the wraith down if he had to but so far felt no reason to worry about that just yet. He would trust Hyano... though his trust for anyone was very thin. Even for someone like Hyano.

Ren's hooded head turned towards the wizard as she explained, then looked back down at the hand that was held out to him. So he should take it and shake it up and down, right? It seemed easy enough. He wasn't sure if he already wondered what kind of strange and useless traditions and rituals these mortals have... The wraith finally lifted a hand, although the wrong one and just touched the hand that was stretched out to him and shook it a bit, then released it as quickly as it came and looked up at the human being. Hmm... He sniffed the air a bit. Of course... He smelled that before... He had a strange smell to him... He sniffed the air audibly again and watched him. It was familiar... He smelled that one before... Not this human, of course, but elsewhere. Maybe that tree nearby with the long leaves?

Will raised a brow, then looked at Hyano, who just shrugged.

"He isn't good socially." She admitted to which the ent man nodded before taking a seat again. Hyano noticed Ren sniffing. "What are you smelling for, Ren?" Hyano asked wondering what caught the wraith's attention. Maybe he noticed Will's plantlike scent. Wouldn't be surprising. For those who weren't used to it the smell could be almost overwhelming. At least to those who had a sensitive nose. However, Ren was known for noticing the oddest of things so he could have noticed something totally different in itself.

However, by the time Hyano was done thinking about the possibilities, Ren's attention was already elsewhere... On the cat in her arms.

The feline of course noticed his invisible gaze and gave a small growl, its bushy tail moving in an agitated manner, its claws then began to sink into the clothes and skin of the woman again.

Of course the wraith held no curiosity or attention for the herder man. He was the one who was curious about him, so he shall take the steps he deemed fit... and dared. The Nazgul instead wished to be closer to that animal... How did its touch feel like? Like the fake cat? No... The texture looked different... and this one even moved. He took a step towards them.

Hyano yelped. She cringed and gritted her teeth against the pain the little animal was causing her. Oh, damn the little claws... they sure caused a lot of damage.

Will didn't see any reason to do anything. Ren was doing most of the work for him. The reaction of the cat showed what nature thought of him. He of course didn't trust him naturally as well but animals were far more sensitive to their natural instincts and it was showing in that cat. The fact Hyano was trying her best not to react also gave Will signs that this creature shouldn't be trusted. However, she wanted him to trust it for some reason. Why, though? Then a thought came to his mind. He stepped up to Hyano and reached out to the cat stroking over its head before lifting it by the scruff into his own arms.

The wizard yelped but sighed as the cat was finally off of her. Painfully of course but at least it was off. However... what was Will up to by taking the cat away?

The cat of course did everything in its power to stay with Hyano, its claws still sticking to her when the man began lifting it and it needed to be physically forced to release the clothing of the woman. Once however it was removed, the feline sought the closest safety. And that was the man that was holding it, so without missing a beat, its claws were sank in Will's clothes, although strangely it could not pierce his skin. It was too hard in texture and thickness for it to succeed, although the tips did manage to get a hold of it. Like at a tree's bark.

Ren's attention of course immediately went from the wizard to the ent man, now that he held his prize. Although, the cat was less amused and growled, it's bushy tail still moving like a flag in a tornado and hissed sharply once the wraith took a step towards the duo.

The herder male watched him closely taking a step back as the other stepped towards him though his steps were planned. He was heading towards the door.

Hyano realized this and mentally groaned. He was practically daring Ren to react! Why?! Because he wanted to see the worst way Ren could be... Just great. "Will... don't do it." She warned him, though, she seemed to hardly be trying. Both men were stronger than her but if she had to she would blast them both into separate corners and make them stand there like children until they could play nice.

Ren did not fail to notice the plan of the herder man, so gave a warning hiss, basically ordering him to stand still and don't even dare making him lose his new toy. He stepped forward once again, this time a much wider one was taken to try and catch him before he can complete his plans. He was of course careful as well, trying to mask his intentions but so far he was failing miserably. His hooded head and invisible gaze were soon turned down to the cat which was by now as agitated as a cat is able to be in its whole life.

The feline was scared and angry, although its yellow eyes widened when the door came into sight and was already attempting to crawl its way up onto the shoulder of the herder man.

The herder man heard the hiss but didn't show any signs of really noticing it. Instead he took another step towards the door again. He kept a grip on the cat's scruff. Not hard enough to hurt it but enough to keep it from bolting anytime soon. He kept his eyes on the dark hood of the being in front of him. He could tell the wraith looked ready to jump at him at any moment. Question was... what would it take to get that result out of him?

The hiss became louder and sharper once he took one more step and Ren stepped after him, attempting to close distance, while his gauntleted hand was stretched out towards the panicked feline which was trying to still crawl its way over the shoulder of the man, its claws scratching against the tough skin, leaving only tiny white marks instead of open wounds. The wraith was less amused and his stance told anyone that one more move and he will be in the face of the tall ent man.

The larger male raised a brow, then pulled the cat off of him and held it out towards the wraith by the scruff. He held it out so it was close to the wraith, however the moment he was ready to touch it Will just let go. He assumed the little feline could handle the rest from there. The door was open. Either he would make it out the door or he would be caught by the wraith. He was hoping for the former for the cat's sake.

The wraith just stood there, helplessly watching as the feline -the moment its paws touched the ground- bolted out of the door and vanished from his sight. His hooded head lingered in that position before slowly but surely he turned it towards the tall man and released a faint but long hiss. That was it. In the very next moment Ren prepared to jump up with extended gauntlets and to land on the shoulders and head of the ent man and use everything that he had at his disposal to harm and punish the miserable puny rat of a mortal about what wraiths are and can do.

"Ren! Don't you even dare! Step back and stay still!" Came Hyano's yell before the wraith even had the chance.

Will had already moved from stoic to ready to punch the wraith the moment he moved close enough and Hyano knew that Ren was not ready for what Will had to offer. Sure, Ren was immortal but Will was still built like a tank and could punch like one can shoot too.

The Nazgul stopped in his tracks when he heard the sharp and loud command. At first his mind wanted to dismiss it because he was a much greater entity than her, so she cannot command him like his Lord however his thoughts took him to the time when they made the deal about the bet... The bet that he miserably lost. Although in unfair conditions. But he still gave his word and gave her the permission to give him orders which he shall follow. Excluding any changes to his attire. He gave a displeased hiss and stared at the man, still tense and ready to deliver a blow or two or to jump on him once maybe she wasn't looking... She cannot tell him what to do when she looks away, right?

The man knew he nearly had a fight on his hands but as it had started it was over. He blinked and tilted his head at the wraith before looking at Hyano. He had proven he was a threat but she proved he was a threat she could control. He seemed to consider this before relaxing. Fine... he would trust Hyano to keep the wraith on a leash... for now that is. However, that was a trust that could very easily be broken at anytime.

The change in the stance and behavior of the herder man was mistaken as the sign of submission by the wraith. He lost all signs of aggression and hostility, so Ren gave a threatening hiss and relaxed his own stance as well, thinking he won despite there was no fight. There was no need for one. Nazgul rarely fought physically, body language being their most frequent method and seems like he managed to get the better of this one as well. He felt some kind of a boost in his mind at this. He managed to win against a wraith-acting man the day before and today against this one. He was pleased with the outcome; although he will still need the cat back... Ren shifted his invisible gaze towards the couch which still had the fake cat sitting on it but it was just all too boring. It wasn't moving anywhere... but the other cat was! He felt frustrated and decided he will risk a step towards the door. Maybe he can find its trail and hunt it down! Then he will replace the fake with the real one. While this world seemed convenient, it most certainly was a fake one. He wanted the real thing!

"Reeeeen... Take your 'fake' cat and go down to the basement. I will come get you later." The orange istar told him from the couch, not about to let him leave the house. Sure, it was later in the day but he had proven that letting him out of the house at any time of the day unsupervised was a terrible idea. He caused far too much trouble that they couldn't afford. She couldn't at least. She knew Ren would do what she said. He would hiss and moan about it the whole way but he would do it one way or another, then maybe try to kill her later for all this. Oh, she was not looking forward to tomorrow.

The Nazgul hissed in return and crossed his arms at first, stubbornly looking away, turning his hooded head away from her in an attempt to pull off some kind of defiance against her order but in the end he knew he had to relent... He hissed and spat like an angry feline as he stomped over to the couch, taking his fake companion and walked down to the basement while making as much noise as it was humanly... ehm... wraithly possible, not all too excited about his toy anymore. It didn't move... it didn't interact... it didn't react to his dark aura, unlike the real cat. He needed that! But well... tomorrow this stupidity will end and not only will he show her how this nonsense affected him but he will finally hunt down his newest interest. And this time she will have no say in the matter! No more bets for him!

The wizard looked at Will. "Would you like to talk about if you and your family will be coming with us or not, Will?" She asked, waving to the chair across from the couch.

The herder male watched every movement of the strange creature, then shifted his dark gaze to the wizard who addressed him, although the question was all too complex to answer it right away. It was just one day. A single day since the proposed change and he did not find the time or the opportunity to give it all too serious thought. However, he wanted to know more before he made the decision. He gave the smallest sign of uncertainty, and although the time seemingly presses them now, they will need more of it so they can properly discuss it. Though, he was more than certain that Hyano was invited by his wife for tomorrow, so they can talk about it then. With that, Will turned around, having decided that he saw enough for today. The wraith was still a high concern of his but at least the wizard can keep it at bay and it seemed to do as she said, even if with some stubbornness was mixed in it. They will see tomorrow. For a brief second he wondered if she will bring Ren along to their home...

Hyano sighed, then nodded and waved him off.

"Talk with your wife about it and I mean actually talk to her. Don't put it off until later. I will see you tomorrow for dinner. Your wife invited me, said she would be making your favorite just for the occasion." She said with a grin. Herder food was often considered very overly spiced but once one got used to it, the food could be some of the best around. She especially loved their desserts... Alright, now she was hungry.

The istar watched as the ent man walked out of the door and shut it behind him. She sighed and leaned back against the couch with a sigh, her gaze falling to her hands in her lap, thinking about the future that the new world holds for her and the family.

Or perhaps her thoughts are all too forward. She should think about the near future first.

Like...

Tomorrow...

Hyano sighed and buried her face in her hands. Tomorrow will be very difficult.

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**Short chapter! We know!**

**But otherwise with what we are planning this would be too long.**

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_CA Productions_


	11. Time's Up!

**Awww yeah! New chapter, right here. Thank you everyone for the nice reviews! You keep us going!**

**Cubby: *Eyes are the size of dinner plates.***

**Avp: *Walks in and jumps.* Gah! What the void happened to you?**

**Cubby: *Looks up at him.* Too many hours looking at a screen. My eyes feel like they might- *eyes pop out.* Oops. There they go.**

**Ren: *Snags them and runs.* Mine!**

**Cubby: No they aren't! *Runs after him and right into a wall.***

**Avp: ... Only in this house. Enjoy the show everyone!**

_CA Productions_

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Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Chapter 11 - Time's Up!

The living room was dark.

No sound could be heard other than the monotonous, almost mute ticking of the clock on the wall.

Surprisingly, the TV's screen was also blank, no cartoons played to entertain the dark creature for the night that resided with the wizard. The phone, just like everything else in the room was still at its original place. Nothing was moved, nothing was disturbed. Everything was in order. Perhaps too much.

Ren simply found no interest in them this time.

The dark cloaked figure was sitting cross-legged just in front of the window on the carpet, the lights from outside bathing him in gold, his hooded head staring out at the night sky, not looking away for anything, stubbornly forcing himself to stare, to watch, to observe...

To wait.

All of a sudden, the smallest light appeared on the very horizon, slowly crawling to either side first before finally rising, the sun peaking from behind the lands beyond.

The wraith gave a hiss and finally moved, putting a gauntleted hand on one of his knees while the other moved to the carpet and stood up, standing straight and did not waste time but turned his back to the rising sun. He walked towards the stairs and climbed it as silently as he might be able to with the usual small creaks sounding under his feet. The form of his shadow soon engulfed a wooden door as he approached and a metal-covered hand reached out for the doorknob, opening it to reveal the room of the wizard.

A new light shone... A new day approached.

He knew very well what it meant.

Ren hissed as he opened the door and found her still peacefully sleeping on her bed. He felt the thrill of torture rise within him and knew he had the upper hand. Despite she having worked on her dependence towards sun, mortals usually didn't wake until later in the day, a few hours after sunrise. He will have the advantage of surprise.

Or so he thought...

Because in the next moment as soon as he stepped inside he felt his metallic boots slip on something, giving way under him, causing him to fall onto his behind with a thud and a surprised hiss and so he also managed to open the door wider. He heard a strange noise coming from above him but as he raised his hooded head and gaze to look at it, he was already engulfed by darkness. He could feel the pressure of something heavy and sticky landing on him as well but couldn't tell what it was. Still unable to process all the sudden happenings, the wraith just sat there, as if frozen in place. What just happened?

Hyano knew what today was as well and had made sure to set an alarm for it. Well... a kind of alarm. She knew the wraith would come. She was no idiot. So, she set the door with a bucket of mud water in it to fall on his head and the floor with a nice layer of ice. She knew today would be full of chaos until she finally left for dinner this evening but she planned to be the first to start the little war. Today was going to be long and hard... but it was totally worth it.

Hyano sat up and yawned lazily before looking around. She had heard the noise but didn't seem worried by it. She cracked her neck before crawling down to the end of the bed and looking down at him.

"Good morning, Ren. How was your meditation? Hope you enjoyed the bath. I made sure to include a lot of mud for your delicate skin." She said, being sarcastic on purpose. "Oh and have fun getting up. The floor is covered in ice patches." She added before reaching under the bed and getting her clothes.

At that very moment a gauntleted hand shot to the bucket and grasped it, then flung it across the room, hearing as it crashed against the wall and slid on the floor. Indeed she did a rather thorough job because the hood and shoulders of the dark being were covered in a thick layer of still sticky mud. With which Ren was not amused. The tips of his gauntlets pierced the slippery surface of the ice and he used the sharp edges of his boots to help him with what he was doing. He was practically crawling across the floor and once he reached the bed he stood, staring at her. No... He was not entertained and if she thought this trick will protect her, she was very much mistaken. He was far too determined now that it was payback time for the three days of degradation. Time to mend his broken pride.

Hyano had by this point changed into her normal clothes and was sitting cross-legged with her head in her hands.

"... Nice job getting up... Want to see how long it takes you to go back down?" She asked, then waved her hand, a gust of wind shooting out and knocking his feet out from under him. At this she smirked. Sometimes the fact Ren lacked any balance could be the most annoying thing in the world but in this case it was the most amusing. Besides, if he thought this was annoying wait until he was hit by all that she did to the whole house while he meditated!

As expected, the Nazgul sounded a surprised hiss and vanished from view as he fell next to the bed with a loud thud, the floor shaking a bit with the rough landing. There was some silence after this until some shuffling could be heard and all of a sudden a dark blur greeted her as Ren jumped up and towards her on the bed, having had enough of her games. Three days were enough. On the fourth day she will be the one going down and he wasn't about to show any mercy. All the suffering... all the torture... he wanted her to taste his displeasure with all of that. If she was smart she would have not commanded him around, seeing despite everything he was her Lord and Master. But instead she wanted to bask in dominance. So will he.

That is when Hyano decided to bolt, jumping off of the bed and sliding on the floor to the door. She then took off running.

The Ringwraith of course landed on the bed and bounced a few times as a result, processing the fact that he managed to grasp only air and the wizard quickly made it out of the room. The wraith did not waste time but bolted right after her, although he slipped on one of the ice patches in the bedroom, causing him to slip outside and bump against the wall face first, making him hiss irritation at the sudden movement.

Instead of heading for the stairs, though, the wizard ran the other direction, heading for the other rooms in the house. Each one was set up with different pranks perfectly fit for the wraith. Her first stop? The bathroom where she had oil put on the floor. She jumped before she touched it though, getting on the sink and got ready to push him right into the tub of soapy water. If there was one thing Ren hated more than mud it was a bath. Ren haaaaaated baths!

After he got his bearings, the Nazgul gave a cry between a hiss and a shriek and followed after her trail like a bloodhound, sniffing the air audibly, letting his nose lead him to her. He noticed that the bathroom door was open, so picked up the pace and stopped at the doorway. He tilted his head to the side at first when he noted her position but he shook it off and swiftly moved forward. Maybe with too great swing because in the next moment he felt his boots slip once again but because he came in with such a speed he wasn't able to stop so raced towards the bath tub with an echoing hiss.

Hyano made sure to kick him the rest of the way in the tub before jumping down from the sink and taking off out the door again. She made sure to freeze the hallway floor behind her as she ran down the hall and down the stairs to the kitchen. There all the fruits, vegetables, and a grand assortment of flowers were set up on the counters. She got to the other side of the room and waited. Now he would be clean and wet... And soon... he would be clean, wet, and smelling like a bunch of his most favorite things. Oh she really was looking to die today... but she would die laughing.

All that she could hear was the loud splashing sound, some shrieks and finally the wraith burst out of the bathroom door, successfully slipping on the ice that she froze there, causing him to crash against the opposite wall with a loud thud. It took him a while to get back his bearings and shook his hooded head but once he was done he gave a loud and long shriek, beginning to run after her, only to have difficulties with walking straight due to the ice beneath his feet. After Ren found he has had enough, he slammed his feet down at each step, stomping his way across the hallway, preventing any slipping for now. He was angry enough that his mind actually came up with the idea to use the rough and spiky edges of his metallic boots to successfully jog after her. He only stopped at the kitchen door but hissed and spat like a furious feline as the scent of the room overloaded his senses, which forced him to take a few steps back and quickly hid behind the wall, sliding down along it to sit down.

Damn it...

Hyano grinned at this. And here she thought she would have to start launching objects at him. She jumped onto a stool.

"So, enjoying smelling like mud and lemons, Ren?" She called out to him, knowing that if the smells in the kitchen weren't getting to him then the smells he was currently covered in already probably were. She was currently having quite a bit of fun with him. Who could blame her? She knew he was going to come after her so she prepared in kind. He was only getting the fruits of her labor now.

There was silence in the living room, nobody answered her mocking words at first. There was no sound of shuffling or groans, no hisses or shrieks. However, it did not last long. Because in the next moment the wraith burst into the room, his gauntleted hands were extended towards her once again in the same fashion as he attempted to run her over in the bedroom. He was not playing around but intended to claw her eyes right out. How dare she mock him like that! He was her Lord! His word is the greatest law she will ever meet in her immortal life and he will be damned if he let her insolence get any stronger. He was angry, irritated, frustrated... Almost all the feelings a Nazgul was able to feel...

Hyano didn't waste any time but instantly grabbed up some fruit and threw it at him. Some went for his hood, of course. However that was not her target. Her main targets were his claws where they pierced themselves in like skewers to meat and got themselves stuck, then bolted out of the way. She was not going to stay in any place long enough for him to kill her. Now, that would be suicidal. However she would stay there long enough to drive him closer and closer before she took off running again to her next horrible prank for him.

Hyano had done this for several hours. One prank after the other.

Ren had been running after her, his fury and frustration rising with each trick she did, slowing his mission. However, at about the middle of it he learned to be careful, so maybe some of her plans didn't work out the way she might have wanted but despite all this she still ended up with a Nazgul on her heels whose only and ultimate intention was to slice her throat and to bathe in her blood while... unusually... singing a nice happy song.

Finally the time came to end it. With that the wizard bolted for the front door and out. Now she was out in the sunlight and thankfully the sun was high in the sky despite the fall weather, which means for Ren coming outside would be rather difficult. At least not in the clothes he was in now. She ran out the end of the stoop and grinned up at the door. She knew Ren would try, however, she was also sure he was very much at the end of his power reserves and by now his senses were overloaded as it was. Light and him just weren't going to mix today.

As soon as she ran outside, the wraith stopped in his tracks at the doorway, watching her from his spot, his hands forming into fists as he saw her mocking smirk. However all of a sudden he stepped back and slammed the door shut.

Then... nothing.

Well, she does need to come back to live here, right? She will have to come back in and when she does... Ren couldn't wait. He then stood by the window, watching her outside. If needed, he will wait for hours, standing where he was without moving or taking his senses off of her. He felt the thrill of the hunt... and she is his prey.

What the Nazgul likely wasn't expecting was for Hyano to outright wave at him before turning and starting to walk away from the house, looking like she had no ready intention to come back anytime soon. Which she honestly didn't. She did have plans for today after all. Ones that she knew Ren didn't know about but would likely try to tell her she couldn't go to if he got a word in edgewise. However because of their current situation he hadn't said one actual word yet today and she was already outside, so there was no problem with that. Maybe if she was lucky when she got back he will have calmed down a bit... Eh... unlikely.

All Ren could do was watch her from his spot at the window as she walked off, leaving his line of sight not long after. He hissed, not believing that she would just so leave and quickly ran up the stairs, his metal boots thundering against the wooden plates and reached her room. He stepped up to the window there and observed as she kept walking, not even showing signs of wishing to turn around. How dare she turn her back on him! The coward! Now she is too afraid to return? Good. He actually felt satisfied knowing that she was so afraid of him that she decided outside is safer. She wasn't wrong either. Foolish wizard. Now she surely learned to not mess with her Lord or else certain death awaits her if she dares to stay any close to him... The Nazgul nodded to himself and stepped back once she vanished completely from view. At this very moment however something dawned on him. What if she never comes back? For all that she did for three days she would have gotten a punishment from him but today deserved a death sentence. She most certainly knows about it and this is why she is fleeing... She doesn't want to come back... She left and is now hiding from his hunger for blood and vengeance. And she thinks she can get away with it. Since when did he let treachery and mockery go unpunished by letting the culprit go? Just so... Without even trying to go after them to complete his will. The Nazgul hissed sharply at the thought and stepped back to the window, staring out of it as best as he could. She isn't such a coward, though... He will spot her running back at the backdoor in no time and he will not move until he caught her in the progress of this.

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_-few seconds later-_

This was tearing at his mind. He was waiting surely for hours by now and she had yet to return. He couldn't believe how much a coward she was! How dare she run away from him! He didn't know her like this in the past... She would have faced his wrath like any other dark being with honor. These many years apart weakened her body, softened her soul... Pathetic. So maybe there as only one single solution to this. He will have to track her down and kill her elsewhere, although he might not be able to lay claim on the carcass for too long without the human soldiers catching him. He hissed at the thought and simply pushed away from the window and walked down the stairs towards the living room, then turned to go to the backdoor. He might as well start his hunt before her trail gets cold. He can sniff her out for a few hours. Determined strides brought him to the door and opened it, not only to be blasted by the harsh sunlight, which made him hiss and hunch his body but he also noticed that he wasn't alone for the moment.

There was a mortal in the neighboring territory... staring at him with wide eyes and mouth hanging open, holding what seemed like a cup in its hand.

Ren stared right back and tilted his head to the side in curiosity but said nothing, instead dismissed the human being before stepping out and shuddered as the warmth of the sun that met his cloak. But since when did that stop him from completing his goals? He was riding his horse in complete sunlight at the command of his Lord and fought while the unrelenting rays punished him. A little sun will not stop him. However, he still needed to halt his advance. He was forced to back away and shut the door despite his plans.

There were just too many mortals outside.

He can live with one seeing him but hundreds would be just too much. Not only would they make his search difficult by screaming and fleeing, thus probably alerting Hyano... but they would also call for the attention of the guards. He didn't need another chase. They would easily recognize him and would ruin everything. His target wasn't to massacre the town but to kill a single person and to approach them in stealth. But for this, the mortals need to somehow be unaware of his intentions and his being. Hiding in bushes? He tried that at his hunt. Humans are too curious when foliage moves and they would wander there, giving him away. Use the roofs? At daylight? No. They would see him. There are no forests nearby either and it didn't seem like the wizard headed there. He will need to think of something quickly or else the trail gets cold! However the wraith also never was good at fast thinking. That was the trait of his other brethren. He just followed commands. But how could he...

Wait...

His hooded head soon turned back towards the living room and he felt his body move on its own. Light steps carried him to the couch and he stared down at the very bag that Hyano gave him not long ago. The Nazgul stared at it, as if having a staring contest with its contents and his hands formed into fists. He despised the situation... But for killing the one who caused him discomfort? He will do everything.

Soon enough the Nazgul reached out and grabbed the bag and held it upside down, letting the fabrics fall out onto the furniture one by one. He hissed as he picked up the first one, unsure what he was supposed to do with it...

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The toy shop owner couldn't help himself.

Sure, he was just a man with a hobby but that hobby was as much a part of his life as the toy shop he owned. Each new fact or artifact he had was as special as the toys he gave to the children if not more so. That child on Halloween sparked his need to know... His need to find out more.

He knew Hyano well enough. It wasn't a large city and Hyano was a young woman who always wore orange with a bit of a hippy aura to her. Considering the rough city she lived in, she was hard to miss. Everyone knew of the 'haunted' house she lived in too as well as her 'magic' shop. All fake but the young ones in the city enjoyed it.

He easily found his way to the house, just barely missing Ren walking out into the open. However, that may have worked in his favor because Ren did not see him coming either. He didn't see the man sneak up onto the porch... to the window... then slowly lean up and look inside. He was quiet. In his mind he was as quiet as a wraith should be in order to learn more about their prey. If he knew Ren better, he might rethink that thought altogether but oh well. He glanced in and saw the cloaked figure. It looked and acted like a wraith... however seeing as it was holding clothes it very well could just be another man in a costume like he had been... however he chose to watch on anyway.

* * *

Ren was all too occupied with the fabrics to notice anyone sneaking up to the house and the window. If he was just watching his show or meditating he surely would have felt the unwanted presence but right now his mind was clouded by confusion and frustration.

He held up the black jeans and the equally black hoodie wherever he could grasp them and looked at the former, then the latter, then back in an attempt to find out what these are for. He dropped the hoodie and looked at the jeans, holding it upside-down at first, not sure how he was supposed to wear that one.

He was a Nazgul... he never wore anything else than what he had and most certainly did he not pay any attention to how others wear their clothes. He didn't need that knowledge... Until now.

He hissed and held it to the side, then flipped it, holding it by the waist and let his invisible gaze travel its length, recognizing its shape. This is where his legs are supposed to go... At least his mind told him so, seeing the shape. He then put it aside and looked at the hoodie, noticing some kind of device somewhere in the front of it. He picked at the metal object, which caused it to slide a bit down, revealing that one could move it and make wearing a bit easier. He held it out by its sleeves, then touched the hood. That was where his head goes, he was sure... So this was for his upper body? He hissed in confusion and held it out by the hood and at the shoulder, recognizing the shape. He was about to just... try and see what he can do with them when something else caught his attention. He wasn't yet done looking. He reached to the side and grasped the much thinner material. He almost managed to rip it with his gauntlets. This one had short sleeves but black just as the others and had some kind of white shape taped on it. He tilted his hooded head to the side and looked at it more. It was a skull... He flipped it around, unsure what he was supposed to do with it. Don't mortals just need a single clothing layer? Do they need to wear two? Because this one seemed to be for the upper body as well. The wraith flipped it a few more times before standing and putting down the clothes.

Here goes nothing.

The Nazgul knew that in order to fit in all this he will need to remove his current clothing. He felt a bit hesitant, however. He was wearing this since his Dark Lord commanded his mind and did not know what would happen if he removed it. Well, he knew he might lose his form and become a hovering wraith with no actual shape. But then again... that might only happen if he takes all of it off. He had no intentions to remove his boots and gauntlets. His not so visible hands and feet would most certainly attract too much attention and he didn't see anything that could cover them nearby. With a frustrated hiss he began undoing the many strips and clasps that held his cloak on his body. It took a while because there were a lot so the cloak does not slip from his body when moving about and battling. He needed his clothes firmly attached to him, especially because of the nature of the fabric.

After what seemed like forever the cloak opened and he could feel it loosen around his spectral form. He then didn't waste time but grasped the edges and threw it to the side revealing...

Nothing.

Hovering metal gauntlets?

* * *

The man watched curiously.

It was like the man had never seen other clothes besides the one he was wearing before. How strange. Then again... maybe he was just well into character. He was trying to give Ren all the benefits he could, all doubt and reason possible. Then his cloak finally came off and all such thoughts went out the door.

He might have thought it was a magic trick if it wasn't for the boots and gauntlets. Holy Valar... there was a wraith! A real life wraith. Not a model or story but one standing there in what could best be compared to the flesh. His heart almost stopped and his blood ran cold. Alright... he was looking at a wraith. A living being of pure darkness... and he now had no idea what to do about it. Should he call the police? This being was of course something he admired but it was also dangerous... Wait... He wasn't the same person who went on a killing spree not long ago was he?.. Oh Vala...

* * *

It was strange to not have his cloak on anymore...

Ren never felt this... what was the word... uncomfortable before. He was simply not used to not having something that gives him shape and a visual representation for the eyes of the mortals. Maybe... maybe if he took off his gauntlets and boots he might be able to just hover over and kill her that way but he had to remember that this way he won't be able to truly perform anything deadly other than affecting her with the darkness and feeding on her fear. Which won't do much knowing her.

So, with one last sharp hiss and a shake of his -currently- invisible head he reached out with his metallic gauntlets and picked up the jeans that were meant for his lower body by the waist. He flipped it a few times, then simply attempted to find a way how to put them on. He probably cannot slip it on from the ends of it, so the only way to do so was by that bigger hole on its top. The Nazgul lowered the jeans a bit closer to the ground and raised a booted leg to push it in, only to almost rip it because of the rough edges and sharp bits and of course he slammed it right between the two smaller holes. He fumbled with it more, attempting to keep balance and finally managed to force one foot in but then stopped when he saw that the other leg of the jeans was on the wrong side, facing away from his other foot. He didn't know what else to do, so just... twisted it a bit so it stood right and pushed in the other leg, then stood and pulled the jeans up with this motion, revealing... that he managed to put it on backwards because the mechanics were on the other side. Or were they meant to be like that? Honestly, Ren wasn't sure. He also noticed that he couldn't quite fit into it this way, so decided he might try the other way around. So he slipped it down and this time took care to put them on right and pulled it up. Now it sat almost perfectly. He felt that it hugged his spectral form much tighter than his cloak, which made him move a bit in the jeans to get a feel of it. He didn't like the pressure it was applying against him... But no matter. His attention then was attracted to the mechanics at the waist-line. There was the same little technology like it was on the hoodie. The wraith hissed and touched the metallic piece, poking it a few times before deciding to move it and zipped it shut. He was rather pleased at how the thing sat. Once he let go of the jeans he felt it wasn't as tight anymore.

Then his head turned towards the t-shirt and the hoodie, not sure if he should take the shirt or just the hoodie... It is enough to find out how to operate these clothes that are necessary, he didn't need anything else... But he found his gaze attracted to the skull on the shirt... Without wasting any time, Ren finally grasped it and held it in front of him, not sure how mortals pull this one on. He saw there were three holes on one side and one big one on top. However, this one cannot be pulled on at his feet, or else his legs would stick out of the holes... So he will need to put it on from above? How else? He looked at the skull and knew he will want to look at it sometimes, so wanted to keep it facing him. He lifted the fabric above his head and pushed it over his head. He fumbled there a bit, unable to find the right hole that actually was big enough for his head to pass through but once he succeeded he looked down and noticed that the skull vanished. It was behind him. Hissing, he began to twist the shirt, not relenting until the white design didn't appear in his field of vision. Once that was done, he looked at his arms and at the shirt, There were two more holes... So he lifted an arm and... stopped... How was he supposed to do this? He cannot quite put it on if he searched for the hole outside... He needed to get his arms into the fabric and search there. He hissed and cursed in Black Speech a few times and could feel he probably ripped it at some places but eventually got both his arms into where they belonged, now giving form to his body for the mortal eyes. Well, to a part of it. His arms were still invisible.

After this and having figured out most of the mechanics and basics of putting on clothes the hoodie was not a great problem. He used the mechanics on the front to open the piece of clothing and put it on like his cloak, covering his back first before pulling his arms into the sleeve, then used the same mechanics to zip the cloth shut and reached up to pull up the hood.

Ren looked at himself a few times, now kind of... disappointed that the skull was gone from view. He also moved his limbs around a bit, feeling the clothes hug his form too much for his comfort but he will have to tolerate the pressure. He hissed to himself, now noting that all his body was covered with clothes that the mortals also wear, so he shouldn't catch too much if any attention outside.

He was ready!

* * *

If this was a cartoon, then the man's jaw would be on the floor. His eyes would have popped out of his head and he may have just turned to ice in fright. However this was not a cartoon and the reality was he was watching a wraith change his clothes. Maybe some red light should be going off in his head that there was something rather wrong about someone getting changed even if they were invisible but at the moment he wasn't thinking about that. Instead he allowed his mind to go a mile a minute with questions and very few answers.

It wasn't until the wraith finally finished changing that he realized his possible situation and finally bolted from his spot under the window and climbed up a nearby tree in hopes of still not being seen. He hoped to see more without possibly being seen... If he was seen... Oh boy. Speaking of boy... Where was the small one from the other day?

* * *

Ren honestly didn't know how he looked like. He couldn't tell, the only aid could have been the black box which was turned off, of course. He turned his hooded head towards the screen and noted his appearance in the reflection. Hmm... He indeed looked much like them now, excluding the boots and gauntlets... He didn't know how to hide those or what to do with them without calling for too much attention and his mission might fail. Mortals are so pathetic...

The Nazgul hissed in irritation and shook his hooded head before stepping away and decided to go on his hunt. The element of surprise is his and if he wasted too much time the trail might vanish before he could get an idea in which direction she went. However... there was a slight problem. He cannot really kill her with his gauntlets, she proved that to him many times... so he will need to take his weapon along. He stepped up to the couch and grasped his cloak and searched for the built in belt in which the sheath was fastened and loosened it so he could slide it out, then retrieved the weapon with its sheath. There, he was left thinking and looked at the all too tight clothes he wore for the moment. It wasn't loose enough to conceal his sword and he was more than sure that humans were all too cowardly, so would most certainly begin screaming and pointing fingers at him for taking it along. He did not care for their opinion and their fear... but this would cause noise and would give him away... He hissed in displeasure and touched the bottom side of the black hoodie, pulling it away from his body, testing it a bit. No... It wasn't enough for his sword... So he will have to go without... Well, without this weapon. He needed something smaller and more effective.

And the wraith knew exactly what weapon he will be able to smuggle along.

Ren reached out towards his cloak and undid one last strap, loosening another belt and retrieving another sheath, albeit much smaller. It was a dagger. Though, not just any dagger. As he unsheathed it, despite the low magic in this world, the dark energy it emitted still swirled around the blade only visible to those who are dark enough in soul. Mortals might feel slightly cold because of it but it shouldn't cause any trouble. The wraith reached down and pulled up the bottom of his boodie, then slung the belt with the sheath around his waist, maybe a bit higher to hide it properly and fastened it there. He inspected the dark Morgul blade for a few moments before sheathing it back and pulling down the fabric on it, testing his appearance in the screen of the black box.

It was perfect.

The Nazgul finally whirled around and walked up to the front door, now gaining more confidence through his efforts to blending in with the mortals around him. He will murder them all if just one of them recognizes him as something else. He was no assassin, knew no stealth, did not intend to just so hide. He felt his pride shatter once again that he was reduced to this... Wearing the clothes these Humans made for themselves... The fabric is pathetic and weak... But if he wanted to succeed in finding and disposing of the wizard... he will have to do all he can.

Thus the door swung open and the wraith stepped out onto the sun. He released a faint hiss in reaction to the sun and slumped his shoulders slightly but shook his head and simply sniffed the air as he walked towards the direction he saw the wizard vanishing. Ren didn't concentrate on his environment enough to notice that he was observed but then again... he was far too occupied and his mind was set on a single task to care. He sniffed the air audibly, then began following the trail that Hyano left behind.

* * *

_-half an hour later-_

Ren had been following after Hyano for many minutes now and was more than determined to find her. The stronger the scent became the more he felt the desire to murder surface in his mind. He felt like many thousand years ago, when he and his brothers would go out and hunt together, when they would have a goal and a target. After all the time he spent in peace and cramped in a single house he felt something unusual come over him. Like... all that he held inside all this time was released and he felt like he was at the top of his strength. Like no sunlight, no light magic can stop him from reaching the one who he deemed was worthy of a painful death.

Nothing can stand in his way now! Nothing!

Well... nothing besides a little girl.

"Oh Mittens! Come down!" Someone called to a little white cat in the tree. It was a little girl around the age of ten, wearing a red skirt and a yellow shirt. She was extending her small hands upwards in the direction of the tree's branches, her blue eyes pleadingly watching something there. Her long blonde hair was shoved to the side when she turned and saw the dark being coming her way. Despite him looking like a Goth rocker wannabe, he looked like everyone else she had ever seen. So without hesitating, she ran up to him and tugged his arm towards the tree. "Oh, Mister! Can you please help me? My cat Mittens is stuck in the tree!" She said, pointing up to a currently sleeping cat. It seemed more than content to ignore the little girl and continue its nap in the tree.

Ren stopped in his tracks, snatching his arm away as soon as it was tugged on, having not expected anyone to stop him or to talk to him. At first he searched for the offender at eye-level but having found nobody, he decided to check just a bit lower. And indeed... A little dwarf was looking up at him at first, then followed the direction she was pointing at. A tree? What did she want with the tree? And why disturb him just to show him the tree? Sadly, the Nazgul could not understand the common tongue, so was left guessing... Only after what seemed like minutes of staring did his senses pick up the life signs of a living being within the foliage. And is that? A cat? Not a fake one either...

Feeling curious and the need to observe and inspect the little being, the wraith walked up to the tree, completely ignoring the dwarf. After staring at the little feline for a few minutes with a tilted hooded head, the dark creature began to look for ways to get to it... But how? His invisible gaze soon fell on the trunk of the tree, so quickly stepped up to it, then started scaling it. His gauntlets and sharp edges of his boots easily grasped and dug into the bark, much like a cat's claws but he still slipped because of his method in climbing. It took him a while but eventually he found himself on the lower branches, his gaze never leaving the form of the cat and then slowly but surely he lowered himself on all fours and extended a hand towards the furry creature.

There is no escape now! Not this time!

"Oh thank you, Mister!" The little girl said, not knowing that the wraith was only helping her for his own selfish reasons.

The cat -on the other hand- like the cat before it, was more in tune with the energies of the world, including the dark energies the wraith gave off. It woke up suddenly and looked down at the clumsy wraith before taking off, going higher and higher. Since it was a smaller animal, it could go onto the much smaller branches that were much higher. It hoped that he could not follow.

Ren of course hissed when the cat jumped higher in the tree, causing his grip on the bark of the tree to tighten. But not giving up, the Nazgul simply followed it, by scaling the trunk a bit higher. However, the more he climbed the more he felt his balance was shifting... No... Not his balance. The tree was beginning to shift under his weight, so the tip started to lean to the side. But even that didn't stop him from attempting to get to the cat. The higher he went, the more the tree leaned to the side.

The cat kept climbing until it reached the very tip of the tree. When it reached the tip of the tree, it looked down and was met by the little girl. They were that close to the ground? How the Void? It looked back at the wraith, then jumped out of the tree into the girl's arms.

The girl squealed and hugged the cat tight enough that it gasped and cried out in pain. Maybe it was better off with the wraith.

"Thank you, Mister!" She yelled, then turned to walk away, obviously happy with its now cringing kitty. No wonder it was in the tree.

Ren watched helplessly as the cat was taken away and his hand remained extended from where he tried to grasp it, forced to see as the dwarf walked off with his prize. How dare the stupid mortal take what belongs to him! In an act of fury and frustration the wrath stuck out both his hands as if he wanted to grab the dwarf who was already too far away, which caused him to lose his grip on the tree bark. The wraith fell down on the ground and the tree suddenly lost its weight, its tip crashing against the house it was standing in front of, having been basically slingshot at it.

The noise snapped the Nazgul out of his sudden rage and shook his hooded head, all of a sudden remembering his original mission. Not the cat! He needed that wizard! So Ren took off running, trying to follow the trail that Hyano left behind.

The trail led to a park.

Normally a calm place where anyone could relax and enjoy themselves but today it was full of teens of all kinds, wearing clothes similar to Ren's and some even stranger. If nothing else, Ren wouldn't stand out here. There was music blasting, some were smoking various different substances, some legal, many not. Here and there people were yelling, laughing and even fighting. It was like one overgrown party!

Ren heard the music from far away but seeing Hyano's trail led towards it he didn't have much choice but to get closer, all the while sometimes hissing at the pure annoyance that this music caused him. He could remember the wizard having shown him such a thing before, which sounded like hoarse sick wraiths were attempting to shriek but failing miserably. Now that he heard it live... it was worse.

He hissed and shook his head, attempting to drown out the sound but it was basically vibrating in the air, sending the waves right across his spectral body, making him shudder slightly. Just what kind of demented wretched souls would consider this pleasant? Maybe those who think sweets smell in a satisfying manner? The wraith didn't know. Instead he was trying to keep an eye out for the istar but so far he couldn't spot her. Perhaps she went past this horrible place and moved on to the park and the forest right across this area. He could see the trees in the distance. Once a scream sounded Ren shook his hooded head again and gave a shriek, wanting it to just stop. He swore... One more time he hears something like that and he will murder all these people in cold blood!

What the wraith didn't realize is his screech was actually somehow pleasant to these tone-deaf individuals. Some even cheered him on before someone grabbed his arm. It was someone clearly clad in black leather clothes but the first thing the Ringwraith noticed was that his face was decorated by some metallic rings... Strange... He thought only orcs wore such things...

His hands formed into fists when people suddenly turned towards him, making Ren become defensive and widened his stance, stabilizing it, instinctively reaching for the hilt of his dagger but this was when he was grabbed roughly by the arm. He hissed and spat at whoever was doing that and wanted to scratch the person but they tugged him so hard that he missed each swing.

"Dude! You are like sooooooo late!" He yelled before dragging him to the stage where some teens were playing music but currently missing a singer and without even asking, Ren was practically tossed on stage in front of the microphone. Everyone saw him and all started screaming and yelling at him, all ready for music from the wraith who they assumed was their lead singer. Then again... the majority were all either too drunk or too high to know the difference at this point.

Everything happened so fast... The next thing the Nazgul knew was that he was standing on some kind of a wooden structure with some... ball on a stick in front of him and people were screaming, shouting, clearly taunting him. The wraith at first was disoriented by the sheer amount of noise around him, especially by the music that sounded right behind him, so he stayed silent for a few seconds, letting his mind process what just happened. He shook his hooded head and focused on the small ball, then looked back at the crowd in front of him. They were screaming, pointing at him, behaving like wild bloodthirsty orcs about to charge at a defenseless village... He gave a hiss at them, warning them to back off but was suddenly shocked by the very loud noise that erupted from somewhere behind him. What he didn't know was that the microphone increased his voice tenfold and changed the frequency, making his own senses hurt in the process of making it. This caused him to shriek loudly, putting his hands at his hooded head, trying everything to drown out the horrible noise!

At first the crowd seemed confused but then they seemed to actually enjoy the noise. Some even copied the wraith crying out and holding their heads while banging around.

The players honestly had no idea what was going on, having never seen Ren before but since their lead singer was nowhere to be found, they decided to go with it and started playing their music. The crowd seemed to love it anyway, so why not?

The crying and shouting from the crowd only increased the irritation of Ren's senses, especially when the people behind him decided to increase it with their own sounds. This overloaded poor wraith's sensitive hearing, causing him to become more aggressive. First, he turned around and shrieked for them to stop before shifting to look at the sea of people and hissed, then screeched, commanding and ordering for silence, which once again was increased in volume thanks to the microphone. The Nazgul seriously didn't know what is going on. His mind was so confused and disoriented that fleeing from the stage to a very quiet place didn't even cross it.

The crowd squealed and cheered him on now, jumping up and down with the music, not seeming to understand him or even care. They just enjoyed what they believed was music.

The musicians were confused a little by his reaction but given their usual singer was prone to temper tantrums and busting instruments on stage just for the show of it, this didn't seem too strange to them. Instead, they just played louder and more wildly to go along with his wild actions and screeches.

Ren couldn't take it anymore!

He released a very loud ear-shattering screech and turned around, grasping the first instrument that came into his gauntleted hands and threw it away. Why won't they stop! His senses are making him disoriented because of the noise, making his actions hasty and uncoordinated, unable to think them through. He turned around and stomped up to one of those humans who held some kind of a long item that gave out of the loudest noises, so reached out, yanked it from his hands and slammed it down, silencing that thing for good. How dare he not follow his orders! He will be next to be thrown out if he as much as makes another noise!

At first the crowd cried out, some cheering and some in pain, then they all cheered when he smashed the guitar. This of course pissed off the player who started cursing at Ren while the rest of the group kept playing. If they knew what Ren was or could understand him, they might actually be scared. That or they would be more likely to worship him, being fans of dark things and all. Just a thought.

As soon as the volume of cheering and music increased, the Nazgul snapped altogether. His metal-covered hands formed into fists and he sounded one of the loudest shrieks he could do and turned around, looking for an escape route from this nightmare. His mind could not take any more of this noise. It was sharp, wrong, loud and made no sense. It was echoing in his senses, so was unable to hear his own thoughts. The music and movement of the crowd thundered against the wooden stage he was standing on and even made the air pulsate. This was as much one such as him could take. Now his mind was forcing him to just get out of the situation so he can gain some peace and silence. He was disoriented and did not know where he was going but simply followed the most logical path. The crowd was now behind him, so his only escape was forward.

Thus, Ren began running, successfully ramming and stepping on the drum system of the drummer, crashing right past and slammed against the wall that was behind the stage. Only for it to end up not being solid but just a fabric that was draped there to make the stage more colorful, so he ended up ripping it and falling past it, then vanished behind the stage.

The crowd watched in awe as the new lead singer went crazy, then out of nowhere he went for the back of the stage, slamming into the backdrop and through it, destroying the design of a flaming skull there.

The drummer, who had luckily jumped out of the way before the mad wraith's rampage, looked there for a moment before looking to his fellow players.

"Duuuuuude... I got to figure out what stuff that guy was smoking." He said with a dumbfounded face. Or maybe just dumb. Yes, that is probably a little closer to the truth.

Ren wasn't expecting such a rough landing but then again the only effect it had on him was an even greater disorientation. He shook his hooded head as he began to stand behind the stage, having fallen to the grassy ground in his haste. There were some people here too, along with some technical mechanics but the wraith honestly did not care. He hissed and screeched at the people around him and started his escape from this area, not caring where he went.

He just knew he wanted to be away.

The rest is just petty detail...

* * *

Holly was in the kitchen. She had been cooking until only moments ago. She was now standing in front of her son, Cane, cleaning his arm.

He had gotten chased by some teens again at school. The boy used to fight back but now he would run until he either outran them or got cornered and even then he wouldn't fight back, afraid that he might injure them too much... His physicals way over-powered them at this age. It hurt her heart to watch this and she had complained to parents and the school about it with little if anything changing yet.

She put on a smile anyway and always told her children things would get better... Would they have to move again? She didn't want to do that to her children so soon after moving here but at this rate nothing would be any better here than it had been at the previous homes they had been at. Herders moved regularly of course -thanks to this instinct remaining from their ancestors but the amount they moved was almost unheard of. Cane wasn't even looking her in the eye... she just wanted something, anything better for her son.

While this happened Will was sitting in the kitchen, watching the two as his wife took care of their son's injuries. This wasn't the first case this week and it wasn't even weekend yet. The aggression of people wasn't any different from all the others in their previous homes. He wondered if there was any place here where he and his family would not face such judgment and attacks. Something told him they can move a hundred times and they would receive this treatment. On some days he wanted to try, to fit in, to show people their gentleness, their culture, to share the kinship. But on times like these... when his own children had to suffer the consequences of the ignorance and intolerance of Man just because of their skin color and unique customs, he just wanted to buy an island and live there with his family. Just them and nobody else... No more judgment, no more hate, no more pain.

The herder man sighed and leaned back in his chair, averting his gaze from the two and looked out the window.

Once Holly finished, she tapped her son's back and watched as he ran off out of the room, then up to his own. She looked after him for a moment before walking up to her husband and putting her hand on his shoulder.

"We can't keep doing this, Will... Our children are getting more and more hardened." She said, though her voice showed she honestly had no idea what to do about it. Unlike her husband she did not know about the offer from Hyano. She just knew something, anything had to be done.

Will just stared out the window, as if every answer to their problem could be found outside. His tense form relaxed upon her touch and his eyes closed briefly at her voice. There was silence from him at first as he thought of their situation. The thought of an island just for themselves began sounding better and better. Of course, Hyano's offer crossed his mind for a moment but he was trying to keep it down. A completely new unknown world could be far worse than just changing cities and homes. Then again... this seems to lack any effect towards their lives. They are always met with hate.

"What else is there?" He asked back in his own, much deeper and slower voice and opened his dark eyes to gaze out of the window again; wondering about what all Lilly must have faced today as well. She tries to not talk about her days in school.

She closed her eyes, then moved so she could wrap her arms around his neck and rest her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know but... I worry everyday that one day one of our children won't come home..." She gripped onto him tightly, the thought of course enough to make her want to cry. After their son was taken from them for that time... it had brought the strong herder woman to tears no matter how hard she had tried to stop it. "You try your hardest to make a safe home for us but it feels like everyone else is against us... even some of our own kind seem to be falling into the hate around us." She admitted. Some herders had grown angry and some would argue it was for good reason. Gangs had formed and many had been killed on both sides. Thankfully, none of their children had... Yet.

The moment she shared her worry about their children he felt as if his heart was stabbed by a sharp knife. Just the thought of it made him want to get back to his roots and protect his son and daughters like an ent of old did. Ferociously killing everything that went too close to them or just made a bad move nearby. He wanted to be there for them every moment and wanted to watch their every step. But now it was not possible. This world changed. They need to fit in but they just cannot... Not because of them. But because of the people around them. Because of the world. He closed his eyes and leaned his head just slightly against Holly's.

"We grew up and have a family. Our children will too. Or else... what would Razorleaf say if we just gave up?" Of course their ancient ancestor was long gone from this world but he wondered what his opinion would be of their situation if he could see them now... If he could see what became of them and of the world.

"If he could see us and this world... he would say this is not what he made his sacrifice for." The ent mother said, doubting the pain and suffering that their people had to go through and the destruction the people of this world have put mother earth through was truly what they stayed for. Razorleaf was a fighter. A strong man who had fought and died for what he believed and protected his children until his dying breath and here they were, not even able to do the same for their own. "I feel so helpless, Will..." If only they could get back to their roots and do as Razorleaf did for his family but honestly even doing half of what he did probably would end one of them in jail if not both. It just wasn't the same kind of world anymore.

Will did not say anything.

He just sat there in silence, his gaze fixed on the window and the trees outside, concentrating... As if he was attempting to hear their whispers which they lack for so many centuries by now. Despite the noise that the humans create... there was such an unnerving and uncomfortable silence which originated from nature. Silence is the loudest cry for help, the saying goes. And in this case it doesn't just mean the silence of people. But the silence of nature as well. It means something is lost that cannot be retrieved anymore... And with that something his family's true purpose was washed away. Man forgot the past... All that they got from just his people... This world is now alien... foreign for one such as him. They simply cannot fit in because this just... isn't their place anymore. Yet he still stubbornly clings to his ancestor's teaching, to what his own father told him. That he has a purpose and a place and if he does not fill that in... then his world falls apart. He is still desperately listening to it while his family suffers the consequences. Lilly being ridiculed and laughed at, thrown into loneliness with no friends. Cane left to defend himself while trying to save those who wish him harm. Rosa? An outcast among the girls her age with no future in sight. And his wife? Tolerating the pain that both of them feel. She has too much weight on her shoulders... He sighed and closed his eyes once again moved his hand to put it on Holly's.

Holly enjoyed just holding her husband and feeling the love he had for her, closing her eyes for the moment. However she jumped when she heard footsteps which came across the ceiling, then down the stairs. She smiled when she heard Lilly's voice.

"Hyano is here! Hyano is here!" The little girl called out before trying to reach up to open the door but coming up short. This of course made her pout and put her hands on her little hips. "Open up you meanie door!" She yelled like the door could somehow understand her. This made Holly laugh despite her previous sad thoughts. Sometimes having children alone was enough to both scare someone and bring joy to one's life.

Will watched his daughter's antics for a few seconds before averting his gaze and letting it travel to the window again, then released his hold on his wife's hand. Did the time fly truly so fast? It was only a few hours since he arrived back home from work and now... Hyano already came to join them for dinner, answering to their invitation. He shifted his eyes to the clock on the wall. Indeed... His thoughts must have taken a lot of time to progress and process, many of them still swirling in his mind wildly, not letting him be. But now was not the time for them.

Holly smiled before kissing her husband's cheek, then stepped back from him and walked to the door. She opened it for the little girl and thankfully Hyano braced herself because Lilly jumped out the door and glomped the wizard.

"Oof! Lilly. You are getting far too big for that." The istar said but still walked into the house with the heavy little girl anyway.

Lilly giggled, then jumped down. "Nu-uh! Daddy said I can jump into his arms forever and ever." She said with a grin to which Hyano only snickered.

"Your father can also bench his own body weight." The wizard pointed out, knowing she could never be as strong as that man no matter how hard she tried. She sniffed the air and sighed. "Oh, dinner smells good."

The father closed his eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly to calm his nerves before putting his hands on his knees and stood up, turning towards the door where the wizard still stood. He walked up to her, nodding in greeting and reached out to take his little daughter from Hyano. She was indeed not nearly as strong as any of them. Something that he as a child could not quite understand just like Lilly, so he did not blame her for just being happy to see her one and only friend. He took the little girl and held her so she can face the orange istar and speak to her if she so wished.

Lilly giggled and cuddled into her father's arms before looking back at Hyano.

"Are you staying for dinner?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer.

Hyano giggled. "Why of course. I would never miss a chance to have some of your mother's cooking." The young-looking woman said, then followed them into the kitchen. "Where are the older two?" She questioned, noting how quiet the house was.

"Rosa is in her room studying and Cane is washing up... He got into another fight today." Holly admitted glumly.

Hyano sighed. These are the times when she questioned which side actually won the war ultimately...

* * *

The day went by calmly with Hyano smiling as Lilly pulled out as many smiles as she could from her older siblings. The littlest one had it the hardest, yet somehow she was the one always smiling and telling everyone it was alright. However ,by the time dinner was over she started having trouble breathing.

Holly went up stairs to put the two older children to sleep while Lilly fell asleep in her father's arms too weak now to move, much less want to.

Hyano smiled at her, then looked at Will. "Have you thought on my offer at all?" She asked softly, not wanting to wake Lilly.

Will sat in his chair, holding his little daughter all curled up in his arms. He was holding her in an instinctive protective manner, as if defending her from the entire world around them. Which is something that must be done... Even if he cannot. He was their father... their protector and example. He was the one who stands in front of them and takes the blows that the humans send their way. But what is he to a sickness or the judgment, to the loneliness and the feeling of being 'different'? His older children cannot find their place, his little daughter is slowly but surely dying... while his wife is tolerating it all, playing a role, making their home feel perfect. He clenched his jaws together, the muscles tensing at the sides of his face. There was this question again... He sighed and ran a hand through Lilly's hair softly, so unlike his build and strength. He said nothing, didn't yet say anything, just stared at the little princess.

Her dreams are her only escape for now... And he wished to be its guardian.

Hyano watched him quietly for a while.

"You are a good father, Will. You have done everything you possibly can... Now I'm offering a chance to do just a little more." She said as she watched him. That little girl was his whole world. Despite her weight compared to humans, she was actually underweight compared to other herders her age. Even she knew that. "When I leave I will text you with the place and time... Take only what you need. Nothing more. No food or anything of modern use. That includes your gun, Will." She warned, deciding to give him this information no matter what his choice was.

Will sighed again, closing his eyes and removed his hand from Lilly's hair, tightening his protective grip just a bit around her. He opened his dark eyes and raised his gaze to look at the wizard. No matter what he chose... he would end up in uncertainty and with little difference. None of the paths have a sure way to cure his daughter; none of the worlds would make their lives easier. Here, they are in the process of trying to fit in... While in a new world they would have to start over with uncertain outcomes. But then again... The humans already expressed their unwillingness to open their minds. The new world however holds that mystery of what they will find. This was the only difference. A difference he will have to risk.

The ent man gave one more sigh, his shoulders slumping just barely in an indication towards submission and looked back at his daughter's sleeping form. Their future did not become certain with his decision. But at least they can start anew. Though, he was not overjoyed by the limits she set. One of his hands absentmindedly traveled to his side where he could feel the weapon she talked about. He was a cop... Someone who had access to them. Long ago he learned that this is the only certain way to protect his family with, so never left the thing behind. And now they might visit a new world... completely without any protection at hand? He sighed and looked down at his daughter, moving his hand back to her hair.

Hyano smiled then stood up. She walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a little affection for all the hell he had been through.

"Here is to hoping it helps you and your family. Make sure you tell your wife. I think she would be angry if she found out last minute about your choice." She said, then knelt so she was eyelevel with the child and brushed a hand over her head. "I am sure this will be good for her. Heh, one of her favorite stories was about the elves. Who knows... Maybe she will make plenty of elf friends in the new world." She said and turned to leave.

Before she left, Will turned his head towards her form and gave a nod as the means of goodbye and gratefulness, then looked back at his daughter, watching as she slept. He honestly didn't know how to understand all this. Hyano knew many more herder families who were far worse off than them, who would need more help. And yet... She is asking them. Maybe there was something in them that made her decide on his family. Or maybe it is because they were a bit closer? Or was it the whisper of the Valar? He didn't know and honestly, he knew he will never find out. Maybe he was never meant to.

No matter what, he will follow the path that leads to safety for his family.

Guide of the Gods... or not...

* * *

Hyano started walking down the sidewalk. What was she thinking? She honestly wasn't sure. Sure, there were other families that lived harder lives and she was certain they could use this just as much if not more than this one but... she just felt a pull towards this family. She sighed. Oh well. Hopefully it was the right choice.

Before she knew it she had walked up to her front yard and there she stopped and blinked...

The Void was on her front stoop?

* * *

**Cut right here! Yes, right here. **

**We wonder what Hyano found... Any guesses?**

_CA Productions_


	12. Busted!

**We hope you enjoy this chapter. We are aware it is rather short... But we decided we will compensate by publishing the next one right next week.**

_CA Productions_

* * *

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

* * *

Chapter 12 - Busted!

The orange wizard stood in front of her home but refused to approach just yet, instead her green gaze was observing someone who was occupying her front stoop. Someone she didn't recognize just yet... She tilted her head slightly and took a step forward, going closer to take a better look.

She didn't expect any visitors...

The person who she saw was sitting on the stoop with his head buried in his hands, having waited for what seemed like hours to finally get to talk to the owner of the house. At first he was just pacing, then just stood around before getting bored and almost fell asleep on the stoop. However, as soon as he heard the steps approaching his head shot up and looked at the woman, revealing him to be the same man who she saw in the toy shop. But of course he was now normally clad.

At first he just blinked as if not sure what he saw was real or just a fragment of his imagination but soon a wide smile appeared on his lips and stood up swiftly and not even letting her say a word he quickly began speaking, his voice showing his excitement.

"Oh God! This was amazing! How did you get a hold of it? Where did you find it? I never thought this day would ever come! Tell me everything about it! You are so lucky... or unlucky... I honestly don't know but I would consider it more of a luck!" He went on and on, clearly unable to contain himself, not even telling her what he was talking about.

Hyano walked up to him slowly blinking.

"Wh-what?" She asked finally once the crazy man had stopped talking. It? Was he talking about one of her items of old? She had quite a few that were rare and expensive but how would he know about those? Not like she let anyone into her house or went around talking about it. "Alright, slow down and talk more clearly because I have no idea what you are talking about and I'm half tempted to call the cops right now." She warned, trying to be as kind as she could about this but he was honestly making her nervous.

"The wraith!" The man shouted, clearly not even aware of the fact that others might be able to hear him, he was so excited about this. He was almost bouncing up and down. He had been finding an interest in these creatures since his very childhood. Each Halloween he would dress up as a wraith and try to imitate them. He studied them for years, having always believed them true. There was just too much information and evidence of their past existence. All the books, the drawn and painted pictures, the plans for their armor, journals... He went as far as traveling for weeks to get a hold of a single book which had two lines about them. One could say his obsession knew no bounds but he wasn't crazy, of course, not with the knowledge and careful research he did. He simply never thought he might get to see one for real. He knew about the danger this one might pose but... he honestly wasn't thinking straight for the moment. "I saw it inside! It was there!"

The woman was knocked back slightly by the sudden shout before her eyes widened. Alright, this had not been something she expected. He saw it? Seriously?! Ren? She looked at the house, then back at him, thinking quickly before she relaxed her shoulders.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." She said, trying to calm herself enough to be convincing. Yes, it was true she had a wraith but she did not need anyone else knowing that and if she had to she would make this man seem as insane as possible and put him in the loony bin. As long as he was kept between four padded walls she would be covered.

The man instantly quieted down and his smile vanished for a moment but soon it reappeared and he held up his index finger, shaking it at her.

"No denying from me .I saw it with my own eyes." He pointed at his eyes as if that will help him, minding his glasses. "It was invisible... It had no face... I saw it when it took off its dark cloak. I never saw anything like that before. How else would you explain that? People don't turn invisible! But it was invisible! This is crazy!" He exclaimed and took a deep breath to calm himself down a bit. Oh how he wished he had taken some pictures... Of course he knew she would want to deny the existence of that very much real thing but she won't get rid of him with lies! Not him!

"I can explain it as the mad ranting of a mad man." Hyano said harshly and crossed her arms, waiting to see what his reply would be to that. Hopefully he would get the point with those words. She didn't want to destroy his life but if she had to she would. Took off his hood? Wait... what? Ren? That was impossible. She knew Ren wouldn't be caught alive without his hood on. That was like asking him to take a bath. Never going to happen unless one kicks him right into the water... like she had this morning. She dearly hoped he hadn't destroyed her house while she was gone...

At this the man suddenly lost his excited expression and spoke up now in a lower and serious tone.

"Listen, Miss Hyano..." He addressed her in a whisper, having known her for a long time already. Mainly thanks to the little children that dragged her along to his shop and came in numerous times with the herder toddlers and their family. They knew one another, even if just a bit, hence why she knows about his research. "We both know the truth... You can deny all you want for the outside but I know what I saw. I might be a bit excited about these creatures but I am not a mad man. And you know that as well." He told her, his gaze meeting hers in a firm fashion, clearly he wasn't playing around with this matter. "I was... waiting for my whole life to see something like this. I always knew they were real once and thought they are gone for good. But now... Here is my opportunity... to see one up close for myself." He trailed off and sighed, then a smirk appeared on his face and watched the wizard with a devilish expression. "I know you could even use my expertise. I know a lot. I bet I know more than you about their nature. I am also more than certain that you found... a lot of trouble with the being... They aren't exactly easy to keep around, are they?"

The orange istar raised a brow at his thoughts. Knew more? Yes, unlikely. She thought for a moment, putting her hands on her hips. She looked him over a minute, then looked around them.

No one. Everyone was settling in for the day.

Good.

Hyano turned back to him, then flicked her hand, the door behind him opening.

"Mr. Odkoner, how much you want to bet you know more than a wizard does?" She asked him. Why not? It seemed he was more interested in meeting creatures than telling the world about them.

The man blinked once he heard the silent creaking of the door. He turned back towards Hyano with his mouth open.

"Wizard?" He asked but it was clear in his tone that he didn't yet quite believe her. After all, it could be just a cheap trick. He was maybe an excited fan of the old world but wasn't so easily convinced about anything unusual. He was a scientist at heart and scientists liked facts. Firm, unquestionable facts. He also raised an eyebrow when she clearly challenged him. Well, one thing was for sure... He knew more about the wraith's current location than her. Still, he wanted to see this, so did as she offered and turned to walk inside so they can talk in private.

"Well, think about it. You had to have read a little about my kind among everything you read about the wraiths." Hyano said, flicking her hand again to shut the door behind them. "Not myself specifically, of course. I made a point of keeping all articles about myself out of the reach of man throughout the years in order to be... forgotten." She added as she walked around him, flicking her hand again, all the doors and windows locking in the house. "Now, do you think anyone else could possibly be holding a wraith in their home and still be alive?" She asked as she walked around the house, obviously looking for something.

Or someone.

The man, known as Odkoner, looked left and right, alert at the sound of the door and windows shutting and locking, then looked back at the woman, still seemingly distrusting towards her claim. Doors and windows shutting could mean she placed some kind of remote control on them. Even he used such tricks on Halloween two days ago. He wasn't really impressed, so raised an eyebrow as if challenging her. He wasn't yet convinced. She got to do a bit more than that. The man watched as she moved about and crossed his arms, waiting for her to... realize something specific. Like... the lack of someone specific.

"Oh bloody hell..." The wizard grumbled, facepalming. "That idiot would go and walk out while I am gone." She murmured, then blinked as she saw the open bag and Ren's normal clothes near the couch in the living room. "Holy Valar, he actually changed his clothes..." She said to herself, then looked at the toy master. "Just so you know, Wraith's don't bathe. The closest Ren has ever come to bathing willingly was when he takes a blood bath and that does nothing to help with his horrible smell." She said and gagged before looking towards the door. "Damn... He will be back soon enough. He kind of wants to kill me right now so he won't stop until he finds me sooner or later. That or I will have to break him out of prison. Whichever comes first." She stated with a sigh, then looked at the man. "Alright, what would prove to you that I am a wizard? Hmm?" She asked, crossing her arms, curious what in his mind would be proof of such a thing.

The man raised an eyebrow when she faced him with the same question and wasn't sure what changed or what she did that might convince him about her being a wizard. Yes, he knew he saw a wraith not long ago, a being that existed many thousand years ago... but he will not believe everything just because of that.

"That wraiths don't bath is a rather logical fact. They don't like to be clean and despise water. Because water does not carry the essence of their God." The man explained, raising his head a little bit, flashing his knowledge about this. He read a lot about them and this was one information he found interesting. "I know it is gone. I have seen it change its cloak for those clothes. It was very amusing and interesting to see it figure out the uses of the clothing. I presume it never changed out of its cloak so far..." He trailed off, remembering the details from a few hours ago. Now at least he knew what brought the wraith to change after all. "Seems like you are in trouble, then."

Hyano raised a brow at the idea that she might be in trouble.

"If you knew half the things I did this morning or what the past three days have been like... you wouldn't be surprised he is mad at me but if you knew what I could do you wouldn't think me exactly 'in trouble.'" She said and thought for a moment before smirking. "Then again, I guess I could show you a little." She added, then waved her hand and the ground under him turned to ice before she flicked her hand and a gust of wind blew his legs from behind. Might as well have a little fun with this man while she had the time to do so.

Odkoner gasped when he felt something slippery under his shoes and his feet even started to slide to the side but what surprised him even more was when something rammed his feet and he fell onto his behind, staring ahead at the woman, blinking a few times in disbelief. He was silent for what seemed like minutes, just watching her like that, his mind seemingly processing the information he received. Now this... was a more believable trick.

"So... you really are a wizard?" He asked, still careful with how he worded it. There was still some doubt but how else would he explain the sudden ice and the wind that knocked him down? "And you... purposely angered a wraith for... what reason exactly?" He inquired, a frown appearing on his face in return of where this is going. Even if she is a wizard and probably could keep the wraith back from killing her while she is awake but... A wraith was still a wraith and surely there was a good reason for having made it go after her to try and kill her... Right?

"We have a very... odd relationship." The istar said honestly with her hands on her hips before waving her hand and the ice evaporated around him, then came to her hand where she squeezed it into a ball of ice and spun it around on one finger. "You see, I've known him since I was a very little girl. When he was a regular human actually and he has always been a bit of a pranking pain in my side. We would go back and forth and this was even a thing when we met again after he turned into a wraith according to his behavior and what he tells me. Despite the wraith's inability to truly feel, they can... mimic emotions and often still have old habits from when they were human. Pranking is his. He and I go back and forth with our pranks. Recently he lost a bet and had to do everything I said for the past 3 days. Today the bet was up and he came to my room to get some revenge for all I made him do. What he didn't expect was for me to have covered the whole room in traps that I sent him into for about three hours this morning. Then I left for the day to do a few things. I'm guessing that is when you turned up and saw him and then he took off after me into town." She explained, smashing the ice ball into pieces and then tossing one into her mouth. "Any questions?"

"Fascinating..." Was all the man could say as he stared at her as she made that trick with the ice and shared some stories with him about her past experiences. Maybe he should write a book about this... Who would believe they are true anyway... Well, this didn't mean he wouldn't love to share his findings with the world and tell them about the wraith. But... in today's society he would be held as mad before he even could get to the point. He would end up in a straitjacket sooner than he could say 'Nazgul'. He was excited about all this and listened to the tale intently but knew he could not expose any of it to the world. This made him a bit disappointed but the fact that he could be around past ancient creatures was far more worth than a few years of fame. For him at least. "Well, it is logical that they would retain some of their behavior because they do have their soul around from their past just corrupted beyond measure. They are just stuck between the living and the dead. But... how does something like this exist still? I mean... I know the world was held together by magic back then but today we have only technology and the little scams that some wannabe magicians like to call 'magic'." He told her, still sitting on the floor with his legs crossed now. It was like his childhood all over again. Just sitting around the fire or on his bed or on the floor, listening to what someone would read him from a book he liked the most.

"Well..." Hyano sat down cross-legged across from him and smiled. "You see, I am the last remaining wizard of this world. I am living on the last remaining magic line. Just enough to keep me alive to see the world until it is close to its end. I hope you don't live to that time but if you do I hope knowing the truth will make it easier on you. Ren turned to stone long ago because he wasn't able to tap into the world's magic anymore. When he was recently discovered a while back, everyone just thought him a statue. Me too at first, honestly. However, when I touched him we became connected. Now my magic runs through him. This is both good and bad. Good because he is alive but bad because now I have to drain twice as much magic in order to keep us both alive which sadly is starting to cut my time here a little short." She explained with a sigh. "I will have to leave sooner than I thought and before you ask... no you can't come with us. The new world would kill you before you touched the shore. Humans are a late generation species. Every new world has a new version of them, however they have never been allowed to travel between worlds. You wouldn't make it through the barrier. I'm sorry. I can tell you what to expect if you do live to the end times." She added, being honest with him.

"Well... Perhaps dying while the new world comes into my line of sight wouldn't be as bad as any other that might await me on this world." The man mused as he listened to her story and explanation, having propped up his head with his hands, his elbows placed on his knees. "Probably mugged in the streets... or... someone breaks into my shop. I will never live the end of my life, I am most certain." He told her as if this wasn't such a big deal, seeing he even expected this to happen. He was all too calm about this possibility. Or perhaps he wasn't truly paying attention to this all, seeing he was hearing quite interesting things. "So... you are in basically what one would call a symbiosis. Well, if it gives you something in return... Otherwise it is a parasite..." Of course this might sound evil but if the wraith wasn't giving anything in return of what it gets, then it is leeching magic from her, so living off of her like a flea on a human. So he wondered if this was a cooperation or not. And if it was... what kind of payment does it give?

"Parasite is quite close but if we were to be separated we would both die. Our connection is so joined that now it is similar to an electric charge. Break the connection and everything just stops." The orange istar explained, then thought for a moment. "Stay here." She said, standing up and walking away for a bit. She eventually came back with a book and held it out to him. "Here. These are the back stories and descriptions of each of the wraiths of old, including the one I have here. I'm sorry but I can't let you meet him in person. He isn't exactly people friendly. However, I think this might be more than worth the difference." She offered, holding out the very thick book. The thing was old as dirt and at least fifteen pounds, give or take. Istari were well known for their detailed work and this book was no exception.

Odkoner looked at the clearly ancient book and smiled, opening it to see the first few pages.

"Ah, I have already read a book like this." He stated, his eyes quickly skimming over a few lines here and there and began carefully flipping some pages, recognizing the wording at places. Although this one was not worked on at the writing and spelling to make it more modern sounding. It didn't matter, he understood it still. At least, so he thought. It seem to be rather... archaic. "The title is familiar but the cover is older." He said, as expected having already chewed through a lot of books. For many he traveled for months and paid a small fortune. There were a lot of books like these found in excavations and some of them were translated and sold, the people who found them only seeing the money they could bring but he saw them as treasures that were worth every cent. "How old is this book?" He asked her, looking up to meet her gaze and flipped a few more pages carefully, then touched the pages, feeling the rough texture. Well, rough compared to today's paper. However, when she mentioned that he cannot stay, the man simply shook his head. "I am planning on seeing it in person and up close... I have read a lot of books about them. Time to see one for myself." He smiled as if it was the most natural thing to request. "Besides... you said you can keep it at bay?" He asked and tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow. Didn't she claim she was a wizard?

Hyano didn't bother to answer his question about the date of the book. She didn't exactly know how old it was, so it wouldn't make sense to answer such a question.

"Oh, I can, however I have already insulted him enough for one day." She said honestly and leaned against the wall, thinking about exactly what she should do. "How about I make you a deal? Come back tomorrow evening around six or so. Give him a day to regenerate and cool off. When you come back... bring some things for him. He likes items that shine and are different from ones he has seen before. That shouldn't be hard for you. Just avoid fake weapons. He was rather disappointed with the fake sword you gave him on Halloween." She said, deciding there might be a way to give him his wish.

The man blinked and hummed, raising a hand to stroke his chin, thinking about the offer with a frown on his face. All of a sudden he gasped and looked at her, putting down the book for now. He didn't want to ruin the ancient relic. Seems like he will have to find out its age his own way.

"But wait! I know a lot about wraiths. I have studied them since I was a little child, read every single information there was about the wraiths in general. Maybe I could help you with the grumpy creature..." He trailed off, watching her carefully with a grin. That is it! He can finally utilize all the knowledge he gathered so far and see if they are true... or if they were just added to make them seem interesting. "In return... I can teach you the little tricks that might work on him. Gives you better control without the need of magic?" He offered and shrugged, watching the wizard with wide hopeful eyes.

"Hmm... that would be nice actually... but my statement still stands. Tomorrow. Besides, when Ren gets back he won't be at his best. Would hate for you to meet someone you have admired for so long just to be disappointed in any way. I will have him ready for you when you return tomorrow. Just make sure to stay submissive. If you show any kind of hostility he will take it as a challenge and given he knows you are human he will be more than willing to end you and I just cleaned the carpets." The wizard said, not changing her mind. While she wouldn't mind learning more from this man, it would have to wait. Tomorrow. He just had to wait until tomorrow.

The man sighed, his shoulders slumping and picked up the book again that he set aside for this short conversation. He fiddled with it a bit, turning it in his grip, feeling as it radiated the ancient knowledge it held. However all of a sudden something dawned on him, her sentence from previously ringing a bell in his head and looked up at her, raising an eyebrow and tilting his head slightly.

"So... that little boy was actually him?" He asked, now remembering she said something about him having not found the toy dagger he gave him fun. He was starting to hope that there might be two... But it seems like they were the one and same person. Well, she IS a wizard... "Does this mean you can also shrink yourself? Or even me?" He asked, his tone gaining back the eagerness to it.

Hyano blinked at the question, then giggled.

"Yes is was and yes I can. I only used a temporary spell on him of course. It was a part of our bet. He had to do whatever I said and what I said included him going on and trying trick or treat night. He hated it. Sweets smell horrible to him but he enjoyed it when you submitted to him, though he got mad again when he realized you weren't really a wraith... I sometimes feel bad for him. But anyway... would you like to try it?" She replied, smirking at him, curious if he wanted to try being a child again.

"A bet?" The human asked and simply put the book aside once again and slid it away to not be in way, this movement alone speaking of his desire to be changed indeed. He wondered how it felt like, how it was like, how magic itself would affect him. So many children and adults were dreaming of seeing magic, to experience the -to them- imaginary power that you can control without mind. Make and do everything you ever wanted, become who you wanted to be... The concept was just all too exciting. Something old, yet new. Many couldn't imagine how a life with magic surging through the air would be... And now, he was about to get a taste of it. This didn't mean he wasn't afraid, of course. This was something he never did before and there was the risk that something might go wrong but this was perhaps a one in a lifetime offer! One such as him would never let such an opportunity slip from his grasp. "Yes... wraiths like to be alone but there was always that connection... that kinship... I wonder how he managed to get used to not having his brethren around. But maybe your company helped him?"

The orange wizard giggled.

"You must have heard about the horrible murders not long ago, right? That was Ren's attempt to try and take over the city. He failed horribly, so he had to do whatever I said for a couple of days. It was actually a lot of fun." She admitted and her smile grew. Not surprised that Odkoner was so curious about the magic of old. "I think my company helped him to forget. In a way I act like a distraction from the fact that he is alone. As long as I do my job right he never really thinks about his lost kin." She explained, then stood up, waving for him to follow her as she walked around the house, seemingly looking for something. "How young would you like to be and how old are you now? Also, would you like the change to be permanent or temporary? I can do both. Would be a fun chance for you to restart your life and all that." She offered as she walked around calmly.

The man watched as she walked about, curiously observing as she went from one room to the other. His gaze sometimes shifted to the book next to him but didn't want to touch it just yet. Not now when he didn't know when this whole... shrinking thing happens.

"I um... I am not quite sure..." He shouted, seeing she was farther away in a room. "Maybe to ten?" He shrugged, not sure what would be the best or if his mind will be developing right along to the body. Will he think like a ten years old? However, her other question was not hard to answer. "I love my job, I also might... perhaps... have found someone in my life so... I would like to be returned to what I am now. Forty nine." He said and waited patiently. Well, as calmly as he could. He already felt so excited and couldn't wait to experience what many only would dream about. He already felt like a child the night before Christmas, knowing that there will be a present waiting for him in the morning. Waiting however was the worst of all...

The young-looking woman giggled lightly. Aw, so the toy master had himself a sweety. That was nice. She knew a little of his history and knew he had once had someone way back in his school days. Sadly she had passed away not long after high school. Dreadful world full of dreadful illnesses that took many before their time sadly. She eventually came back. In her hand she held a pendant. She knelt down in front of him and held it up.

"This will allow you to turn to the age you desired." She said with a smile.

The man blinked at the item, gazing at the pedant. He was quite... dumbfounded and surprised by the unexpected offer and slowly raised his gaze to the wizard, staring at her silently, having thought she would just change him and then back again, not to give him an item that would let him repeat it at will. This was... unbelievable. The hidden scientist in him wanted to protest and reason that this all was just a trick and there was no logical explanation for anything like this but he knew deep down that what she said was true and her own gaze held nothing else but honesty. He didn't know what to say and first stuttered, his words coming out in a jumbled manner, unsure what he should even say first from the many thoughts that occupied his mind but in the end he shook his head to clear it a bit and make order.

"But... I thought enchantments don't work anymore in a word like ours..." He wondered out loud and looked at the item, not yet reaching out to take it, just eyed it. "But I cannot take this... What if I lose it? Someone can abuse it... And why give it to me?" He asked, unsure why she would consider giving something like this to him.

Hyano laughed lightly at his questions.

"One does not question a gift, my friend. They take it with a grateful heart." She said, before reaching out and taking his hand. She put the item in his hand, then put her hands over his, whispering a spell over the item. It glowed before changing a few different colors, then settled back to its original colors. "That should do the trick. Do not worry. The pendant will work only for you. I suggest when you do it you tell people you are your own long lost grandson. Believe it or not, people are more likely to believe that than you think." She advised with a light laugh. "This world does not have much magic. If there were as many magical beings as there had been back in the old days... they would die within moments. However there is just enough to do little things like this. Do not worry. Now... try on the necklace. I'm curious to see what you looked like when you were young." She explained, then requested with a grin.

Odkoner gulped nervously and looked at the pedant, touching it with a finger, letting his hand feel the surface, wishing to sense the magic that must be circulating within it. However, the tiniest magical feelings were already lost to the humans after generations without it, so he could feel nothing, although he wished he did. His imagination helped him a bit there but otherwise he was disappointed. He took a deep breath and held the pedant ready to put it on but stopped.

"Wait... What about my clothes? Will they also shrink or will I end up going baggy style?" He asked with a chuckle and grimaced. Oh, he could remember that age. He always found that era a bit... strange and disgusting. He liked to dress more formally, although with a bit informal touch. He liked shirts and trousers or jeans, those that hug his form more and don't sag. They look nice enough for any occasions.

The wizard giggled lightly.

"Why don't you put it on and find out? If you like, you can do it in the bathroom just in case." She offered. She knew the necklace would shrink his clothes as well but she assumed it would be more fun just to make the poor toy maker guess.

"I guess that's... a good idea..." The man smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck and stood, bolting towards the bathroom in the direction she pointed at. Once inside, the man closed and door and leaned against it, then brought the pedant closer to his face, watching it for a little while, trying to calm his nerves as best as he could. He took some deep breaths but eventually closed his eyes and put on the magical enchanted jewelry. He gritted his teeth and waited, not even daring to move or look at what the magic would do to him. He wondered if it is going to hurt or not...

Wait...

He forgot to ask!

There was no pain. Instead, a dark fog came out of the pendant like a snake and wrapped around him, blocking his vision and making him lightheaded. As the fog became smaller and smaller, so did the man. Soon, the man became a boy and the fog retracted back into the pendant. The haze over his mind lasted a few minutes but eventually it was allowed to clear along with his vision. Though, he would likely have to adjust that anyway. It was very unlikely that his eyesight was nearly as bad when he was ten years old compared to his current one, making those glasses become more of an eyesore than a help.

He thanked whatever god there was for making him lean against the door when this all happened. He had to spend some time with closed eyes and standing still to get back his bearings.

"Wow..." The toy maker uttered in a whisper and opened his eyes suddenly in surprise when he heard the higher pitched tone but regretted it instantly when he felt his eyes and head hurt, only seeing in a blurry manner. He groaned and quickly removed his glasses, then opened his eyes to look around. "Holy..." He trailed off. He completely forgot how well the sight of a normal human worked. Glasses are good but a clear natural sight was the best of all. He spent some time looking around, then pulled away from the door and moved to step forward, although almost ended up falling forward. He wanted to take a too wide step, which his much shorter legs were not designed for. He finally lowered his gaze and touched his chest, then knees, surprised that his clothes actually shrunk right along with him. He tried one more step, this time careful to take a smaller one and giggled. "This is amazing!" He shouted, chuckling at his own voice before opening the door and running right out to present himself to her. He felt so... energetic! So happy! It was all so... fresh! Maybe he became too old and his body was of course affected by all the hardships of life. Being a small child again was a nice change.

Hyano watched him and laughed. This was always fun. He of course wasn't the first person she had done this for but the first in a very long time. She grinned down at him before tossing him an apple.

"Being a wizard has always had its upsides. Enjoy. Maybe you can use it to help the kids in your toy shop." She said with her hands on her hips. She wasn't sure exactly how he could do it but she was sure he would come up with something. He was a smart man/child after all, right? "Now I'm sorry to rush but I would like you up and out before Ren gets here. Okay?" She requested with a grin.

The man... child... caught the apple, although almost managed to miss it because he had to realize that his arms aren't as long as they used to be but eventually the fruit landed in his hand and he took a bite, his eyes lighting up at the strong bite. Wait... The teeth that he lost are back again! He chewed on the apple and blinked when she basically wanted to shoo him out of her house. He raised an eyebrow and once he gulped down the bite he took he addressed her with a curious tone.

"How do you know when it comes back? I am actually surprised it didn't find you yet... I mean... it was following your scent... Maybe it is stuck where you were? Where were you by the way?" He asked, of course not wanting to seep into her personal life but there was a chance that the wraith lost track or was discovered by those who she spent time with. They have good noses and wouldn't lose track of her... right?

"Actually, the connection we share helps in that. As I said, without the other we can't take in magic anymore. This also applies if we are separated too far. However when he gets closer I can feel it as well. I gain more and more energy. It is all about flow. However if he takes too long I will go out after him. Either way I can't really leave you here." The wizard replied. It was a good question, so she gave him a good answer in return. He was a smart human, she would give him that. Very impressive, given the times they now lived in. A lot would rather take the answers they were given than ask for better ones.

The man nodded and decided he will return home in this form. Although, perhaps doing so might be dangerous, seeing the sun already went down and he was a child... Who knows what danger awaits him out there. But still... It was too much fun. He could feel his muscles ache in wishing to move, his lungs took in far more air, his very being yearned for a good run. He was full of energy.

"Well... I guess I will come back tomorrow, then. Six, you said, right?" He asked, his tone happy and excited. He felt like a child about to meet his greatest idol which he admired for ever since he was born and now he did look like one as well. Or maybe it was just his child-self affecting him. He didn't know which one it was but one was certain... He loved this. "I will bring some items along that he will like and get you my notes! Oh my God! This is going to be so awesome!" He giggled and moved towards the door with a skip in his steps. A wraith. A real life wraith! And a wizard! Maybe this is a dream... But even if it is, he hoped he will never wake up!

Hyano giggled lightly and watched as the man -now child- left her home. She was half tempted to follow him home and make sure he got there safely but she didn't want to be too overbearing, so she allowed him to leave on his own. He was technically a full-grown adult, after all. She stepped back and looked around her home. A part of her was worn out. Ren was getting close. She was sure of that but she still just used way more magic than she should have... but damn if it wasn't fun. The orange istar grinned. She honestly felt like she had way back when she would do little spells for children just for the fun of it. Such things she couldn't do so easily and often anymore, so this would likely be one of the few times but it still left her giddy and happy. She shook her head.

"Alright, Ren... Where in the void are you?" She asked, letting her worry sink in. He better not have gotten into too much trouble today.

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**Only 6k words this time! We are saving words as it seems... Maybe we should be more... willing to share. Any guesses what kind of troubles Ren must have gone into?**

**We hope you liked the chapter.**

_CA Productions_


	13. Labrat

**Cub: *Pulling on rope. Humming a random tune.***

**Avp: *Walks in and blinks* What are you doing?**

**Cub: Oh getting ready to play piñata. You want first swing?**

**Avp: Oh! Cool! Sure! *Jumps up and down excitedly then yelps as Hyano puts the blind fold over his eyes then spins him before putting the bat in his hands.***

**Hyano: *Walks up beside Cub.* Shouldn't you have told him what or rather who the piñata was?**

**Cub: Nope. This is what they get for stealing the last of my pie. *Grins as there is a loud smack followed by a shriek.***

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**As promised, here is another chapter. Next chapter will come in two weeks!**

_CA Productions_

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Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Chapter 13 - Labrat

_-few hours later-_

The darkness was always a very difficult state for a man. Their senses became dull, their eyesight was basically useless and so coordination was not that easy. However, for a creature of darkness this problem was unknown. A world without any light would be a paradise. They are strongest in complete darkness, their senses strengthen tenfold and their eyesight becomes unmatched. Thus coordination shouldn't quite be a problem. However, Ren still managed to stumble and crash against the backdoor face-first with an irritated hiss. He began fumbling for the doorknob and once found, he pushed the door in, stepping inside right after and shut it quickly as if he was fleeing from something and leaned against the wall next to the doorway to hear if anyone was following him or not. Feeling secure now, the Nazgul stepped forward and shook his hooded head with an annoyed hiss, feeling all the scents that he was bathed in. They were disgusting! How can humans stand it!

For a moment in all the noise he made he completely forgot who he was after and honestly... he wasn't looking for her for hours now. Too distracted and side-tracked for that and his one-tracked mind still refused to kick his train of thoughts in the right direction. Instead he hissed and spat as he attempted to grab for something on his back and cursed out all humans there were as he made his way towards the living room.

To say the least, he didn't look all too well. While at least his clothes were not ripped, they were quite intact. The first addition was the armband-like ticket which he received at the rock concert he accidentally stumbled into and ran out of like a mad cat. He attempted to find Hyano's tracks after but was almost instantly distracted by some shiny lights which came from a cheap jewelry store. He got into a fight there when he took some of the shiny gems, which are still in one of his pockets. The next thing he knew was someone attempting to rob him, so he showed that man the power of a wraith, thus some blood was smeared on the sleeves of his hoodie and the front of his black jeans. Not a few steps away -after having chased a cat- he found himself in a garden where apparently there was some kind of celebration and now bright confetti also decorated his dark clothes here and there. While he observed the unusual scenery, he was all of a sudden sat down at a long table where many people were sitting in front of a bowl full of something... sweet. While he felt disgusted at it, he couldn't help but find interest in the shiny bowl, so lifted it, having ended up with all the contents of the bowl within his hood, which then vanished right inside his shirt. The humans however seemed to... go crazy about it, dragged him from the seat and gave him a shiny necklace with a strange pedant on it with a strange human writing. If that was not enough, he was stunned by the shiny wrapping paper of a package nearby, so took it along for his journey. After some angry humans gave chase, he found himself on the road and was hypnotized by two shiny bright light dots and in the next second he found himself on his stomach, something having ran over him. Unknown to the Nazgul, there was a rather thick and muddy tire print on his back as well. But his torture just then started... When he rolled over he managed to do so right into a dropped pack of candies, so after standing up he removed most but there was a single one he could not reach... It was in the middle of his back and no matter what he did it just kept being stubborn and tortured his senses ever since. In the end someone must have mistaken him for an injured person, so was dragged over to a very loud and busy small room within a car and after a short ride they arrived at the hospital, where they gave him yet another armband and put him somewhere to apparently wait. He however found no reason to, so walked out. After a few streets of aimless walking he decided to admire his newly acquired jewelry, which attracted some attention. He found out that human females like shiny trinkets too and initiated some kind of ritual... And now unknown to him he had some lipstick marks at some places. Having grown bored of their strange behavior and their -quite obvious- glances at his new items, he left them behind to protect his precious jewelry. After a few more random locations -which included a club, a bar, and a store- he now smelled like the whole town, including cologne, beer, dirt, wet dog, and sweets. Some sweets -which were actually cookies- were still stuck between his hoodie and T-shirt.

By the time he reached the living room, the wraith was shaking his clothes around, removing some of the confetti and some of the cookies fell out too in crumbles or halves, thinking that perhaps this will also get rid of the scents. Well, he had to face the harsh reality...

It didn't.

Hyano blinked and just... stood there stunned. She wasn't sure what was more surprising about all this... The fact that Ren had finally changed his clothes... or all that he must have done today in order to get in this kind of state. She stood there, staring at him for a good five minutes before holding his cloak out to him. She didn't say anything. Didn't even laugh. She was just too stunned for words. She did however seem to realize that Ren would want to change as soon as wraithly possible and this would likely be the one and only time she EVER got him to change his clothes EVER. And to say the least... she regretted nothing! She had taken the time to patch up a few tears in his cloak and remove a little dirt but of course didn't actually clean it but she removed the extra weight, that was easy. She assumed he wouldn't mind.

After a few more attempts to shake the disgusting scents off of him, the Nazgul stopped and hissed when suddenly his dark cloak came into his line of sight. He froze in the position he was in and stared at it at first, then his invisible gaze slowly but surely traveled to the face of the person who held it. One could see the tiniest movement of his hood as well in the process. In that moment something clicked in his mind and the next thing the wizard knew was that the wraith launched himself at her over the couch with both metal-covered gauntlets extended towards her.

Hyano blinked, her mind clicking but instead of panicking and pushing back she dropped the cloak and jumped into his arms, her own arms wrapping around his neck.

"You big idiot! Do you know what could have happened if you got hurt out there! Don't ever scare me like that again! You were gone for hours and I nearly thought I lost you!" She yelled at him as she clutched onto him. Despite having been shell shocked for a moment, there was one other thing that happened while he was gone. She had started to freak out. Panic had gripped the young-looking wizard and despite having been able to feel he was close she still worried that something might be wrong. That he might come back to her half dead or worse... she would all of a sudden feel their connection sever and realize in a split second that he was 'dead'.

The wraith was dumbfounded and confused by her actions and forgot what he was about to do, instead stopped in his tracks and froze as she unexpectedly jumped at him and instead of attacking or protecting herself she simply wrapped her arms around him. Of course the action itself was familiar; she did this many times in Moria. However the situation currently was not suitable for her comfort. He wasn't about to offer any security or comfort... He was about to kill her! The Nazgul also found little logic and interest in her words. How can someone who angered and annoyed him all morning, then ran off from her deserved death only to become protective and scold him for something ridiculous... He didn't answer her; neither did he say a word or move an inch... Just... Stood there still with both hands extended, unsure what to do... His mind came up clueless...

Hyano stepped back, looking up at him.

"I'm sorry about this morning... I just... knew what you were going to do, so I thought I would just get you first. I mean... we used to go at it all the time back in Moria, so I assumed it only made sense." She explained, then sighed, waiting for him to do or say anything... He -of course- still wanted to kill her. That is why he went after her in the first place, right? So... she waited. She wouldn't just let him kill her but... she could let him have a little fun first.

Ren finally lowered his arms and stared at her, his hooded head tilting to the side with curiosity or perhaps confusion, unsure how to react to her claim at first. He felt anger once again, frustration, irritation and hatred. How dare she say she feels sorry after what she did? An apology, even begging for his forgiveness will not make the situation better for her. At all. So he gave a sharp hiss and stepped forward towards her, his gauntleted hands forming into fists.

"In the morning I only wished to punish you. Then, you decided to rebel and angered me, even though you knew what you deserved." He hissed and brought one of his hands down a bit to his belt, feeling for the blade's grip he hid there. His mind was not changed at all, if anything... at least now she is an easier target. However, before he was able to continue the Ringwraith stopped in his tracks and sniffed the air audibly, even his hand moved from his weapon, instead tilted his hooded head and stepped away from the wizard, instead began to taste the aroma in the air. He sounded a warning hiss. "What is this?" He asked no one in particular and stepped after the trail. "Somebody is... was... here..." He stopped and looked around swiftly, his body language speaking of his aggression, his movements were tense and yet was ready to charge if he was surprised. "Intruder..." He didn't know this scent... But lucky for Hyano... it at least distracted him.

The orange wizard relaxed when his attention changed and released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She looked at him, then sighed.

"Yes. Earlier when I got here... the toy man was here. He apparently saw you while you were changing. To say the least he was impressed. He asked all kinds of questions. I told him to come back tomorrow... Thought you might enjoy the attention once you had the chance to regenerate." She said, tilting her head. "He is harmless. Just an admirer of everything you are." She added, wanting to make sure he understood there was no threat from this man.

Ren's hooded head snapped towards her direction when she explained the strange, unfamiliar scent to him. The toy man? He couldn't remember anyone called that way. Or she meant that wraith faking human who went ahead and offered him a fake weapon as a gift?

"I haven't seen or sensed anyone nearby..." The wraith hissed, although he felt a bit... perhaps uncertain a bit there. He wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings when he left. But surely he would have sensed the man... His scent and sight never disappointed him. At least, he wasn't used to them failing or not registering a threat or an intruder. However, there was something that caught his attention and stepped towards her, tilting his head slightly to one side and then the other, curious. "So, is he a servant material?" He asked, clearly having no intentions on keeping admirers about if they don't do his bidding. He had no use for people who just praise him. They will need to be useful to him.

"Maybe shortly but we will be leaving here soon, so not really. He can't really come with us. The new world won't allow it. However, he would be useful in spreading the word to the world of what you truly are." Hyano offered. "He is a book man. If given the right materials he could write a very detailed book about what a wraith truly is along with the fear they truly are worth. You might not be here to enjoy that but nevertheless, you will have made a permanent mark on this world that will last beyond you being here." She explained to him, hoping what she said made some sense to him. He wasn't much of a reader but she was sure he understood the true value of books to the common mind, given how much he knows about her by now.

The wraith listened to her silently and tilted his hooded head to the side at the mention of books and knowledge being shared.

"What is the meaning of fear if I cannot utilize it?" He asked, lacking the logic in this. He would accept such a deed if people would gain this knowledge while he was about and he could ripe the benefits by inducing even more fear and feeling the dominance and power he had over them. On the other hand if he wasn't there... Then what proof will the people have? He was the proof! "Man has forgotten that magic existed in the ages past... And now you expect them to believe I existed?" He asked her, crossing his arms, then sniffed the air only to hiss. He raised both hands and attempted to get to the middle of his back, grasping for that single candy that was stuck to it but try as he might... nothing worked. He just couldn't get to it and this was driving him insane. He also began smelling the different scents as well which irritated him even more. Damn it...

"You would be surprised how many people will believe a book without question." The woman said, remembering all the religions that came out of nowhere, all because someone said 'follow the words in this book'. It was both fascinating and horrible to watch. She smiled slightly at his struggle, before walking up and around him to his back. She found the piece of candy and blinked. Wow... Not only was it stuck on there but it had somehow accumulated a very good amount of... what she had to guess was cat hair. She cringed, then grabbed it and tried to pull it off. It wouldn't budge, though. "Alright, hold on." She requested, then put a foot on his back and tugged hard. She gritted her teeth, then there was a sound like Velcro being taken apart and the candy came off while Hyano fell back. "Oof!" She cried out as she hit the floor.

Ren tilted his head as soon as it came off and stepped away with a hiss, turning his back to her once again, fleeing from the sudden stench that erupted when the sweet thing was pulled off. At least before the candy's outer layer was covered by dirt and any trash it came into contact with so it drowned out the scent... But now that its clean 'belly' was exposed, its disgusting aroma filled the air once again. The wraith stepped farther away and clawed at his hoodie, eventually deciding he had enough. The fumbled a bit but soon found the end of the mechanism again on its front and pulled it down, almost ripping it in the process, then quickly took it off, tossing it as far he could. This way the hood came off, revealing that... there wasn't anything to reveal. As one expected, he had no visible head to show. However, the morgul blade came into view which was tucked into its sheath around his belt to conceal it from the people's eyes when he was out and about.

Hyano groaned and stood up before tossing the candy, hearing a clunk as it landed in a trashcan. She groaned. Now her hands were covered in sticky cat hair. That was nasty. She looked at Ren and blinked.

"... Not going to lie... Even though I know this is what you look like... it still looks so strange." She admitted before standing and heading towards the kitchen to wash off her hands. She had also noticed the blade and that made her worry, given she had notice him head in that direction at one point earlier... Had he really been ready to stab her? Was he really that mad? Go figure that guy can't handle being teased without going off the deep end!

"Why? What do I look like?" Ren asked without missing a beat and began unzipping his jeans as well to take it off after having placed the blade carefully on the couch. He of course knew he must be invisible to the people around him but she worded it in a way that said that she might be able to see more, so wondered what is so strange about him. He could see himself of course and was used to the sight. But wasn't sure what others might see if they can view anything in the realm of the Unseen. Soon enough the jeans landed on the other end of the room and the T-shirt was removed as well. Now he was nothing more but floating metallic gloves and metallic boots on the ground. He picked up his dark cloak but stopped himself before he could drape it over himself. Wait... What? "What happened to it?" He asked, flipping it around, noticing some... changes. It was clean... Too clean for his taste... He could also see patches on it... What in the Void happened to his cloak!

"You look like floating objects." Hyano admitted as she came back. She watched as he got undressed and blushed as she thought of what he must look like if she could see him... now that thought was embarrassing. She blinked as he commented on his cloak. _You got got to be kidding..._ "I fixed some of the tears in it and brushed off some dirt. Nothing special. Not like I actually cleaned the thing." She pointed out, then remembered the 'bath' she put him through. That might have cleaned it anyway and he might just now be realizing the effects of that stunt. Oh well. She had to admit that prank was still worth it. He didn't smell like a two legged skunk anymore at least.

The wraith turned back towards her to confront her about her explanation, although the fact could be only visible by the smallest movement in the gloves and the cloak that was still held out but had to stop at her previous thoughts for a moment.

"Floating objects?" He asked, not quite understanding what she meant however at the same time he also noticed that strange thing about her. Her temperature was rising again... He could see it just fine and he couldn't help his natural yet unnatural curiosity. He tilted his head to the side and hissed. "You are heating up..." He commented but was distracted once he remembered what she revealed that she did to his cloak. Instantly he looked through it and checked the pockets, making sure everything was still in place. Thanks to his hoard in the basement, the items he hauled along every day were not as heavy and bothersome but they were still valuable to him. They seemed to be intact and where he left them, so with a displeased and almost disgusted groan-like sound he draped the cloth over himself, beginning to fasten the straps and belts around his chest and hips, then the rest at his arms. "I did not order you to fix anything... You only ruined it!" He scolded her with a sharp hiss.

The wizard blushed deeper when he pointed her blush out but was grateful when he changed the subject if only to scold her.

"Oh, come on... If one of those rips got caught on something, THAT would have ruined your cloak. I prevented further damage without making any serious changes." She replied, crossing her arms. Of course she was annoyed. She felt like she was helping him and all she got was scolding. What kind of crap was that? And to say the least... sowing that thing wasn't easy. It was very thick, so she had to use a lot of force and more often than not she got her fingers in the process. Bloody ingrate!

The Nazgul hissed at her sharply, commanding her to stay silent. He didn't tell her she can come up with excuses. He didn't care about tears or mud or scent. They didn't affect him at the moment so didn't find them important enough to consider it. He told her what she did wrong and she better learns from it... or else. Or else what? He will kill her? Nah, he already wanted to kill her so what exactly are they talking about? Once he finished securing the cloak on his form, the dark creature's hooded head turned towards the morgul blade on the couch and reached out to take it, the fingers of his metallic gauntlet curled around the grip slowly and lifted it out of its sheath in hood-level to stare at the shimmering blade. It still had plenty magic within it... Surely enough to wound and completely dispose of an istar. He hissed faintly and ran a metal-covered finger along the smooth metal but then stopped, his mind suddenly and mysteriously flashing in something that she said earlier as if a voice suddenly repeated it into his hood which grasped his interest and distracted him from his intentions a moment ago. So the wraith turned around and stared at her, his hooded head tilting to the side.

"You said we will leave soon?" He asked, wishing to confirm this. His mind tended to make up information he never heard but pieced it together later to make it appear like something he wanted to hear.

Hyano watched him closely before nodding. She was a little surprised he did a three sixty all the way back to that but was kind of glad he did. It was something they should talk about, right?

"Yes. This world's magical flow is going out. If we don't leave soon we won't be able to leave at all." She explained to him. "If it was just me, then I could stay for a little while longer but sadly we are keeping each other alive at this point. So, since we both are acting as a heavy drain on the flow we both are being forced to leave." She added, though, she knew at some point or another the wraith probably stopped paying attention.

Ren couldn't help but feel some more... distrust and suspicion coming from the wizard. She mentioned that both of them will need to leave. Yet they aren't exactly at the best of terms and she knows exactly what he wants to do. He didn't yet forgive her neither for abandoning him, for denying the truth, nor for her stunt this morning...and never will but will be out for blood as soon as they touched down wherever they would be leaving. He assumed the dependence between them would dissolve as soon as more magic surrounds them, so will have no true reason to keep her alive anymore. Maybe he can push his tolerance for a few more days or weeks until they leave... but not more.

"And when exactly is this... 'soon'?" He asked, wishing to know specifics, wanting to prepare his mind for the wait and know when he can finally unleash his fury at her.

"A few weeks. A month at the very most." The wizard admitted. "When we leave we will be heading for the water's edge where we will get picked up and taken to our new home." She explained to him, a glint appearing within her green eyes as an idea came into her mind. "New world that is fresh. It actually might prove easy for you, given they haven't been there long compared to this one." She added, trying to entice him a little. If it kept him in line, then it was worth it.

The wraith hissed in return of the tempting words and looked away. It indeed sounded alluring, something to think about. He did not know what will await him in this world and the possibilities were endless. He might and will be the first and only source of darkness there... which would in the end make him... the new Dark Lord. He however failed to see the rest of what this new world might bring. The dangers of treading a completely new environment didn't even cross his mind for now. One curse of being a Nazgul who not only couldn't expand his mind to concentrate on everything but also was a slave to a Lord who controlled him most of the time. He shifted his hooded head again to look at her and stared for what seemed like hours before simply vanishing in the basement.

This of course didn't mean she was safe. Only that her death was postponed. For now...

Hyano blinked, then looked at the door he went through. She considered what she should do or say before deciding nothing was the best answer. She gave a mock wave as she turned and went to her room. Today had been another long day. Time for her to have a very LONG sleep.

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_-next day-_

Ren was still brooding and grumbling to himself within the basement, sorting through his hoard and umpteenth time today, trying to keep his mind busy and occupied, or else his murderous instinct would overcome him. While Hyano was still alive and well, it didn't mean he forgave her. Her only use now was to get him to this new world she was talking about. Although, sometimes the Nazgul wondered if it was even real... Or maybe she is just trying to pull time... No... that cannot be... The wraith thought within himself, crossing his arms over his cloaked chest, pondering. She had many opportunities to flee from him... yet she did not. He had to remind himself with a sharp hiss that she was as dependent on him as he was on her. If she left, she would die and he would become stone again, more than likely waiting for the next victim to bond with him.

He was so much engulfed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching the door, even going as far as missing the knocking.

The wizard of course was less buried in her thoughts and heard the noise, skipping over to the door to open it. She had plenty of time on her hands since the man of the hour had kept to himself all day. that meant she spent most of the day cleaning house and cleaning herself. She hadn't had much time to do either since Ren joined her household, so it was good to catch up. Getting a shower had felt fantastic. She smiled when she opened the door to reveal the man on her doorstep.

"Hey there, Mr. Odkoner. Ready? He is downstairs, going through his things more than likely. He is still rather angry at me, so today I think you could test out what you know and see if you could possibly put him in a better mood before the day is done." She said with a grin and waved him in.

The man was standing in the doorway with a backpack in his hand, a big smile on his face and an excitement he could barely contain. He behaved like a little child now... about to get his Christmas present.

"Oh, don't worry. I got a lot of things I could test." He said and stepped inside, accepting the invitation and looked around first, then took a deep breath and shook his arms and legs a bit as if he was preparing to run the marathon. Well, this can be seen as such. He was about to meet one dangerous creature... Possibly the most threatening being on Middle-Earth.

In the mean time Ren still grumbled, throwing an item he didn't want anymore across the basement, hearing it clatter and break. Good. Now nobody can have it. He was about to start another string of curse at the wizard when his senses caught a new smell. No... He knew this scent already and felt his murderous instinct come to the surface. Yesterday this was the scent of the intruder his servant so much wished to defend. Giving a sharp hiss, he was on his feet instantly and stalked up the stairs, looking for the mortal that had a death wish and stopped on top of the stairs.

Both man and Nazgul stared at one another, feeling the same surprise for a moment.

The odd toy maker stared in awe and mild fear, then gulped. He was nervous and surprised at just what he was in front of. However he swallowed this quickly and went down to one knee bowing his head deeply. First to show he was no threat and submit to the one most powerful... That was easy enough, right? While he did this, he reached into his bag and pulled out a small pouch full of jewels and gold. All meant to shine and catch the being's attention. He placed it as far away from himself as he could and moved back slightly to show it was an offering meant for the superior being here.

Hyano stood behind him, watching and leaning against the wall. This was interesting. She wouldn't say or do anything of course while this was going on, unless needed. She wanted to have some faith within this man. He seemed to be eager and know exactly what he was doing, judging from the movements. She was also curious about his methods and what all he had in that bag.

The Nazgul watched the man as he approached him slowly, his steps were calculated yet determined. A low hiss sounded from his hood, his body language spoke of the threat that he did not word but displayed all too clearly. His movements slowed down, however, when the man moved, kneeling in front of him, causing the wraith to release a satisfied hiss but he did not halt, only doing so when he noticed the offering. The wraith tilted his hooded head to the side, his attention completely distracted by the shiny items that landed on the ground. His hissing stopped and he observed the trinkets, then looked back at the man, finally returning his gaze to the gold and gems. He stepped up to them but made no move to take it at all. He will not go as low as reach for it to the ground, instead he looked at the man again, then began circling him, sniffing the air, tasting the aroma he left behind but thinking he was no threat, neither is he interesting in any way, the wraith simply gave a dismissing hiss and turned his back to him. Just another pathetic human...

The man noticed the dismissal. Anyone else would have been disappointed but in the case of this wraith he took it as a good sign. He wasn't on his death list. That was good enough for him. He reached into his bag again.

Alright... test number one.

Odkoner pulled out a laser pointer and shot the little red dot at the wall the wraith was currently facing.

This made Hyano blink. _Oh Valar, why have I never thought of this?!_ She thought, a grin instantly spreading across her face. He may be just guessing on how this might go but Hyano already knew... and she was going to enjoy this all too much.

_It wasn't there before... Was it?_ Was Ren's first thought as the little red dot appeared on the wall. Maybe... he wasn't paying attention to it before? But surely he would notice something like this. The wraith tilted his hooded head to the side and stepped closer to the wall, noting the brightness of the dot and the way it made some tiny movement but not enough to make it change position. Feeling curious, the Nazgul stopped near it and reached out to touch it with a gauntleted hand.

Before he could touch the light, the toy maker turned it off, making Ren hiss in surprise when the dot vanished from his sight and step back from the wall, searching for it, his hooded head moving about as his invisible gaze tried to locate the small bright dot again.

Then, Odkoner pointed it at the floor near his feet and waited to see his reaction. Just to add to the effect... he moved it around in little circles and dashed it about a little just to entice the wraith a little more.

Thanks to the movements at his side, the Nazgul finally turned his head towards bright dot and gave yet another hiss, watching it, his gaze quickly following its movements as accurately as one is able as a wraith. He raised a foot and tried to step on it to stop its movements so he can get a better look. The toy man of course turned the pointer off to give this illusion. Ren felt quite victorious when he managed to step on whatever this thing was and after waiting for a few seconds -just to make sure the creature was well secured- he removed his foot to take a look.

Only to find the dot gone.

The man smiled at the confused body language of the wraith and made the dot appear by his foot, then let it dart away towards the couch. The toy maker grinned. This was proving to be more fun than he had hoped. The wraith's reactions were unreal. If he could do both at once he would probably be taking notes right now.

The Ringwraith looked around again, searching for it, even going as far as turning around but hissed once the dot appeared yet again. He was quick to act as well. As soon as the dot moved, he was on its... 'heel', his hooded head and attention concentrating on it, his gaze being attracted to the bright light that it emitted. He was hissing an order for it to stop.

It didn't seem to understand the command because every time he got close, it would take off away from him as fast as was possible which was far faster than the wraith. On and over the couch, to the wall, past the table.

Hyano by this point had a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing. Oh, it was so funny, though!

The wraith behaved like he was a live bulldozer. His attention was closely on the brightly shining red dot and his gaze was unable to tear from it. Thus he ended up running over everything in his path just to try and catch the red dot. However, as everything in Middle-Earth, this had to end as well. Ren followed the dot to the couch and watched as it 'ran' under it, so he simply threw himself after it, thinking he trapped it successfully and so slipped right after it under the furniture, causing it to tilt back slightly in the end.

The toy master put the light away. That was not quite what he planned but that was fantastic! He pulled out another item. This time a piece of his collection. A golden skull that had been found in one of the museums and sold for auction because they thought it was worthless. It was quite ancient, found at an excavation near the ruins of what was once a tower within the land that was once called 'Mordor' according to the books he read. This skull must be thousands of years old, so was quite valuable in his opinion. It carried the scars of time, the golden coat was harmed and damaged at some parts but otherwise it was in a good condition. He saw so much in it. He had a feeling it belonged to one of the wraiths, judging from some of the... strange scratch marks on the outer layer, which meant that someone with a sharp equipment handled it daily for a while. It was also found right where these creatures were mostly home, he speculated, so it must have belonged to one of them. Maybe this one? He stepped forward towards the Nazgul in question but raised an eyebrow when he found him still buried under the furniture.

If Ren was able, he would have flipped the couch by now but instead he was left with nothing, so climbed from under it, feeling irritated and annoyed that he did not manage to find that shiny item. Or being. He wasn't quite sure. He will have to make sure to look for it in the future. Nothing gets away from the keen senses of a Nazgul! Speaking of senses, the wraith's gaze was forced to the side upon having spotted something glistening in the light of the sun nearby. He stopped in his tracks and froze when he noticed exactly what he was looking at. He tilted his hooded head to the side, his mind instantly searching for information which he stored and finally found something. He couldn't help but tilt his head to the other side and hissed, stepping towards the toy maker carefully, his gaze glued to the shiny skull. Of course he remembered these... He saw many skulls, some strange, some natural, some prized ones coated in gold in the many times he visited one of his brethren, their assassin brother, Adunaphel. That Nazgul did not care much for the shiny jewelry or strange items. He preferred the skulls above all else, finding their existence and form tempting and interesting. His horse was adorned by many; his stash was filled with them. The most prized ones -be it for their form or for the way he fought them- were coated in gold. Just like this one... Though, from this far he couldn't quite know for sure.

Hyano tilted her head, watching.

"He remembers it." She said, letting the toy maker know he was doing something right and watched as Ren observed the skull that was held by the human, clearly interested in it. But not just because it was shiny... No... There was something about it...

"I would hope so. I got this from a Mordor museum." The man admitted, feeling some pride. he paid a lot of money to get a hold of it, just to add it to his collection. "I was hoping it belonged to a wraith." He added.

"It isn't his." Hyano said bluntly, making the toy maker blink.

"What? How can you tell?" He asked curiously and looked back at the approaching creature, whose attention was clearly on the skull. For him it looked like he recognized the item...

"Wraiths are possessive. If that was his... he would have snatched it by now. He just has seen it or something like it before. He will want it, though." The istar explained and smiled as the toy maker made the right choice in putting the skull down for Ren to take.

At that moment Ren sounded a sharp hiss and drew towards it swiftly, as if wanting to chase the man away from the item and threatening him to keep his distance and reached down with a silver-shaded gauntleted hand, taking the skull from the ground. Instantly he drew it closer and inspected it, tilting his hooded head to one side and the other, then leaned closer and took a whiff of air, tasting the aroma around it but had to hiss and shake his head. No... this didn't smell like any of his brothers. This one smelled like human and many strange things that probably came into contact with it. Though, the coating and some of the ancient claw-marks imprinted into the gold thanks to its past owner's handling gave away its true origins. He would recognize such accidental scratches anywhere. He soon let his back face the living beings and began picking on the skull, turning it, as if attempting to find evidence of its original owner. But so far he was met with irritation. He could feel something akin to eagerness as he flipped the thing around in his metal-covered hands, adding to the scratches on the golden coat and his senses expanded to attempt to catch the scent of his late brother, completely ignoring the two. As if... he was looking for some kind of sign... as if... he was hoping for something.

Hyano watched him, her green gaze meeting his shoulder and sighed, feeling kind of... sorry for the dark creature. She knew exactly what he was doing and also thought the outcome of this all. He will not find anything. He was alone still. Despite the fact that he cannot feel emotions, he surely must have something akin to it like... the feeling of abandonment, loneliness, disappointment. He was most certainly looking for a connection but there will be none to be found. This made her remember her own situation for a moment. Poor old Ship... Gandalf... Iron Bark. She was alone just the same for a very long time now but the difference was that she will be able to see some of them again. But Ren... he will be always the only one. The wizard shook her head and thought this was a perfect time to end this. She stepped up to the toy maker, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Time for you to go." She said softly and nodded towards the door. She wanted to get him out of here before Ren got bored and decided the toy maker would be more fun dead than alive especially seeing his frustration grow with each second that went by.

The man gasped and blinked at her, pulling away as fast as he could, his gaze flickering to the dark creature as it meddled with the skull.

"What? Why? But I just got here! I still have so many things to try." He mused and began searching in his bag to try and find some of the things he brought along. "I still need to experiment with everything I learned from the books and see if they work. I cannot let the opportunity pass! That would be foolish!" He tried reasoning with her and tried stepping away from her grasp as he meddled with his items, searching for something specific as it seemed.

Hyano raised a brow.

"Sir, Ren has a very short attention span and despite the many items you may have he will eventually grow bored of _YOU_ specifically if we are not careful. As far as he cares he can just take everything you have. He doesn't need you breathing to do that. Now, I can agree that you may have more to do but that can wait for another time. However, one must be careful with a wraith. Your research must have taught you that, I am sure." She said, being clear that she wasn't about to just change her mind on this just because he was being childish about it.

"But what if I won't have a next time?" The toy maker asked and looked at her, stopping with his rummaging for a moment and stared at her, the desperation and eagerness clear in his gaze. "This is all the chance I know I have right now. And trust me... If he goes out of control I have just the item that I can use to calm him down or at least distract him for long enough for me to leave and some." He tried reassuring her and then as if to prove it, he put down his bag and searched again before pulling out a simple wide jar which held bits and pieces of some kind of small flower. It didn't seem like much. Simple plain white tiny petals, thin green leaves... The thing was sealed of course. He didn't want the wraith to react to it just yet. At least... he hoped it will have the effect that was described. "Cute, isn't it, huh?" He asked her with a wide smile and caressed the glass surface as if it was a living being. "It might look small and plain. But according to the book I read, wraiths are... dying for it!" He explained and watched as the Nazgul finally began losing interest in the skull. He will need to hurry if he wanted him distracted any longer.

Hyano looked at him a moment, feeling slightly... unsure about this, then sighed and waved him off.

"Fine. ONE more, then you are done. We clear?" She said and leaned back against the wall, looking at Ren as he seemed to stop caring about the skull. Likely, he couldn't find what he wanted. If that had belonged to one of the wraiths... it had long lost any kind of traces of any of his brothers. It likely disappointed him. Hopefully it didn't put him in a bad mood, though. That would be a problem.

"Yes!" The man threw up a fist in victory and searched the bag again after having put the jar down and pulled out what one could recognize a small ball that had a ring-like wheel in the middle of it, clearly for it to move about on it. He also pulled out a remote control and put the ball down on the ground. "Now I am going to see if this works... I wanted to see if this is true..." The toy maker whispered and after fiddling with the remote a bit, he pushed a button, causing the ball to begin rolling at a moderate speed, then sped up gradually and took course towards the wraith who was by now losing interest heavily in the skull.

Of course, Ren's hearing wasn't something to be ashamed of so heard the scratching sound that the small item made on the floor, so tilted his head to the side and followed the noise, watching as the small ball scurried past him between his legs. He watched the tiny toy for a while, following its movements with his dark hooded head, then all of a sudden put the skull to the side on the table next to him and went after the small toy, although could not quite catch the speedy thing.

"Oh, this is too much fun." The man smirked and let the wraith chase after the small thing for a while until... he pushed a button and the ball split in half, both going in different directions. The wraith however froze, stopping where he was and his hooded head turned from one direction to the other in a rapid motion, then backed up and looked around for the halves. "See that?" The man asked and looked at Hyano, then pushed the button again and the ball halves set themselves together again. "They have what I call a one-track mind and a one-line vision. They can only concentrate on a single thing at a time... But once they become two... it is too much for them to take." He smiled and directed the ball to return to him so he can take it. "So in the medieval times when the wraiths were about, the best strategy would have been to stay in one group for a while and then suddenly scatter. The wraiths would have grown confused as to who to follow." Odkoner explained, then watched as Ren hissed and observed the ball on the ground, then slowly but surely his invisible gaze rose to meet his, identifying him as the one who just messed with him.

Well... damn.

"That only works as long as they aren't focused on catching one person or thing in the group." Hyano replied, then noted Ren's line of site. "I would suggest if you want to use the flower of yours you do it now." Hyano said but didn't move. She warned this man. She would save him if needed but he wanted to test his skills and now he had the chance. He had to either fly or die as the term goes.

"False. They will get confused by the overall move of the scattering." The man said, although he knew he had no proof to back up his claim. He could only speculate and as it seemed the mere motion of one group becoming two or more can disorient the Nazgul if it was timed right. But of course only for a small enough time. Like right now...

The toy maker looked away from the hood of the slowly approaching and hissing creature, who clearly was annoyed with his tricks by now. But... there was one more thing he wanted to see and prove before he calms down the creature. He backed away slowly from the wraith and rummaged through his bag again, this time taking out what one could recognize a deck of cards and showed it to the wraith, although didn't give it to him, still keeping a good distance between them. If one looked closely enough, one could tell he also put something in his back pocket.

"I always knew that the wraiths were controlled by something and their mind is always... you could say... was deleted and formatted to leave only what they need. This enables them to have a lot more opportunity in storing even more information... Their memory and logic must be astonishing..." He trailed off and looked at the wizard. "Tell him that I want to challenge him to a simple game." He told her, wishing for her to translate for him. Normally he would do the challenging himself but sadly this one will require rules to be set up. He can't really show that with body language right now. "You know... memory card game. I set them all on the ground facing downwards and he will have to find the pairs as we take turns." He offered. "If he wins, I am going to sacrifice my latest value and creation for him and he can take it. But only I know where it is." He said, making sure the wraith will have no other choice but to play along if he wanted the item.

Hyano tilted his head, raising an eyebrow at his claim about wraith intelligence, then looked at Ren and spoke up in Black Speech.

"_He wants to play a game with you. A matching game. Each card has a mach. They will all be placed out and you both will go back and forth trying to find the matches. The person who finds the most, wins. He said if you win... he will give you his newly made prized creation. However, he is the only one who knows where it is._" She told Ren, hoping that the toy maker knew what he was doing. This was like playing with fire.

The wraith tilted his hooded head to the side as he listened to the instructions and couldn't help but hiss in return.

"What? I am not going to play any games with him! I am a Nazgul, not an orc in its free time!" He hissed sharply and looked towards the human, although the sound came to an abrupt halt when she mentioned the... prized creation. Standing true to a Nazgul's nature, he immediately found interest in that subject. "What is this... prized creation?" He asked, directing his question to the wizard, as if suspecting that she might know something about this.

Hyano put her hands up.

"He didn't tell me. So the only way you can possibly find out is to play his game and win." The wizard replied and looked at the toy maker before looking back at Ren again. "So, you either play or never know." She added, keeping a straight face. She was calm and waiting for him to make his choice. A good one, she hoped.

By the time she finished explaining, the man already put half the cards down in place, forming a nice square with them on the floor. Each card was facing downwards, its plain colored back showing to the occupants of the room. He didn't seem to pay any heed to what was being said but trusted his little trick with the secret prize will win the curiosity of the wraith. He read enough to know that secrets can be overwhelming for beings like them. After all... they have very little memories to compare it to and guess with.

The Nazgul watched the man for a while, tilting his hooded head to one and then the other side as he observed the care with which he organized the cards. In the end, he just hissed and shook his head.

"But if the creation turns out to be something fake or boring... I will make him eat it... then I will rip it from his intestines then make him eat it again." Ren stated as if it was the most normal conclusion in the world, as if he said something completely usual and not something horrifying. He watched as the man took a seat in the floor in front of the cards and saw as he nodded at him and gestured to the other end of the square. So, the wraith walked over with a hiss and sat down as well, crossing his legs and waited.

Soon after -once he made sure that he had the wraith's attention- the toy maker began the game. He flipped one card to face upwards, then chose another to do the same but seeing they did not match he simply flipped them back, then gestured towards the Nazgul to do the same. He watched as the dark creature reached forward and chose two random cards as well, although, again, none matched. Once again, the man chose another two random cards with no luck, which was followed by a few more turns until once in Ren's turn... he managed to flip one which was already once shown by the toy maker at one his previous turns. The wraith seemed to pause for a moment but reached out with a quite determined metal-covered hand and chose a card from the formation. Of course, the human was not surprised to find that the being didn't even need to guess. The card matched, so he gestured for him to take it.

"See? I wouldn't have remembered where that card was exactly and even so fast... But he remembered. Just so." He snapped his fingers, which caused Ren to snap his attention towards him, so he pointed towards the cards again. He may have another free turn. Again, the next card the wraith flipped was one that had its pair in the already shown cards in the previous turns and once more he found the match without trouble. "I think I will end up sitting here until he finishes now." The toy maker chuckled as the wraith then began finding some more matching cards before he was met with one that they didn't yet find and guessed wrong. "Luck is on my side as it seems." He added with a smile.

The game lasted a few more minutes with the man having four pairs and the Nazgul holding the rest of the deck. Now, Ren was watching him intently as if expecting something. Of course he did... There was a promise of an offering in return of his victory before...

"Let's hope your prize impresses him. He said if it doesn't, he will do some rather... harsh things with it." The orange wizard said, giving him a silent warning that if this prize didn't impress... he would need to run. She was actually kind of impressed herself. Ren's short term memory was rather good. Too bad this only applied to anything he cared about. Useless information was forgotten. She knew that fact all too well.

All the toy maker did was smirk at the wizard, then slowly stood up, making sure to not make any sudden moves and to keep his gaze lowered to not look into the hood of the wraith, then reached back to his back pocket and retrieved something in his fist. He bent down and put the item on the ground, his hand lingering for a moment, then pulled back and stood up, backing away from both the Nazgul and the deck of cards he left on the ground.

On the floor was a ball.

A quite... plain-looking green almost see-through ball.

Ren tilted his hooded head to the side and stared at it, clearly... not at all impressed by the offer. It wasn't anything colorful... neither did it call for his attention. He did not deem it a worthy offer. He raised his gaze with a faint hiss as if warning the man of his impending doom and stepped forward, reaching down for the ball to make his threat true. However... as soon as he lifted the ball it suddenly lost its form and began slipping from his grip towards the floor like a green slime. He hissed sharply in surprise and attempted to keep it in his hands but the substance won and simply dripped down onto the ground. It bounced a bit in its deformed state, then rolled around, quickly gaining back its ball form as if nothing happened. The Nazgul tilted his hooded head to the side and stared at it even more, then reached out for it again... and again... and again... Damn it!

Hyano blinked wondering if the toy man lost his mind for a moment untill the toy did its 'magic'. She giggled lightly, then looked to the toy maker.

"I commend you for making a fantastic toy. The kids are going to love it. However I must tell you that Ren is going to lose it in about ten seconds and will try to kill you. He has a very short fuse." She told him honestly, then looked back at Ren and his growing frustration. Oh, this was fantastic!

The man chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly while grimacing a little.

"Well... it isn't yet quite perfect, though. I have tested them and so far they don't last too long. After a few weeks they all begin to lose their ability to form a ball... and then they just harden into a glass-like state..." He shrugged, watching as the wraith poked the ball on the ground, which resonated a bit and rolled slightly away. "You see, it is very sensitive and cannot carry a grain more than its own weight. As soon as the smallest additional pressure is added to it, it begins to lose its form and will act like a thick liquid, only returning to its original state once it is left alone. But as the time goes by it will not be able to hold even its own weight..." He pondered out loud, explaining the mechanics and physics of how the ball really works. It was an original idea which still needed work... A lot of it at that.

As expected, Ren became more and more frustrated with his new item and after it slipped from his grip the umpteenth time... he finally snapped. The wraith shrieked loudly, causing the toy maker to gasp and back away, then turned towards the man and stalked towards him.

"_How dare you giving me something so foolish! It doesn't listen to my command and wish! You useless little rat!_" He hissed in Black Speech and reached down to touch the hilt of his sword.

The toy maker of course saw his approach and took the warning that Hyano directed towards him seriously, so held the one solution to the problem close by. The wide jar with the tiny plain flowers. He reached up and quickly removed the lid, then quickly poured the contents out onto the floor.

In that instant... Ren froze in his tracks and turned his hooded head slowly towards the heap of plants.

"Alright... I'll bite. The void is up with the plants?" The istar asked, raising a brow. Yes, she knew Ren hated plants and anything to do with their smell but that would not save him here. Unless there really was something he knew about these beings that she didn't. if there was a plant that could beat Ren, then she was all game for knowing what that plant was so she could put it to proper use, however, she had a feeling he might be missing the nail on this one. That both worried her and depressed her. Great. She was about to piss off Ren... again.

The man's smile grew as each second went by and watched as the wraith stared at the flowers, then tilt its head to the side, then the other... and then... simply looked back straight at him with a hiss.

"I think... this is my clue to leave now... right?" He asked, the smile vanishing from his face altogether at the reaction of the Nazgul. Apparently... the flower doesn't exactly seem to work the way he thought it would or the way the books say. But at least it doesn't seem to be repulsive to him either, which is a good thing in itself. Right? "It is supposed to... draw his attention and be attracted to its scent, but... I guess..." He took a step back as the wraith took one forward, which was followed by a sharp hiss. "... not working..." He finished and leaned down very slowly to grab his bag and stepped back again, trying to reach the door before the creature could catch up to him. "Will... come back later..." He said quickly, then bolted out the door without being able to say anything else seeing the Nazgul was upon him but the dark being stopped in front of the door, knowing the risks that await him outside.

"Foolish coward. I know where he is and he will pay for the treachery." He huffed and kicked the door before turning around.

Hyano facepalmed, then looked at Ren.

"What treachery? He did exactly what he said he would. He gave you a new prize he made. He never said what it did or how it worked." She pointed out before walking over to the object on the floor. She attempted to scoop it up into her hand to keep it in the flat of her palm so the object would continue to think it was on a flat surface but the labile toy of course was not quite as easy to pick up by the wizard. Because just as the toy maker said, as soon as she applied the smallest pressure and tried to pick it up, the thing lost its form and began dripping towards the ground, its surface becoming very slippery and hard to hold... Still... she didn't want it getting stepped on or something. "I wonder what book he read that made him think you 'liked' flowers." She said, snickering at the idea. If he liked flowers, then Ren might have been far more pleasant in the past days.

"But I have warned him that he should not give me something that doesn't impress me. He still gave me this irritating..." The wraith stopped and looked at the thing that Hyano was picking up, unsure what exactly it was. It seemed like a ball but was also alive, right? So was this an item or a mortal? He honestly wasn't sure."...I don't know what... But he went against his word. He agreed when he received the warning and still issued the challenge." Ren added and crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head to the side with a hiss at the slimy thing.

"Oh, I don't know. It is kind of fun. Like a little puzzle." The wizard admitted with a laugh as it slipped from her hand. She tried this a few more times before letting the item slip and fall to the floor with a smile on her face. Unlike Ren, she was not so easily frustrated by such items. She looked at it for a minute, then went to the kitchen and eventually came back with a small jar. This was a puzzle she would have fun trying to solve. Well, for as long as she had the time to try and solve it anyway. She used some wind magic to blow the ball into the jar before sealing it. "Besides, I thought you liked balls. You love the one that bounces around." She pointed out with her eyes on the item in the jar. Every so often she would nudge the ball, watching as it lost its shape and moved around the jar, then reformed. What skill it must have taken to make this. The toy maker should work for the government!

"I can catch that one and claim it. This one refuses to follow my command." He hissed sharply and pointed at the insolent thing in the jar, referring to it as a living being for now. He couldn't quite decide but it was defying all the laws of items. Ren huffed and turned his back towards the wizard and the ball in the jar, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his hooded head higher. "Tame it or it gets destroyed by me in the next few hours. I don't care how you achieve it." He ordered and simply walked off into the basement to his items after giving a last curious glance towards the flowers on the floor, wondering just what this was supposed to be.

Hyano giggled lightly, then walked over to the flowers and tilted her head.

"Hmmm..." She thought to herself before taking the jar they came from and putting them back in, then went to her desk and pulled out a match and tossed it in, watching as the flowers lit on fire and slowly the smoke started to work its way into the house. Well she would give it to the toy maker. He knew how to pick good flowers for incense at least. She placed that jar on the nightstand by the couch before dropping onto the couch with the first jar in hand.

Now about this toy... How could she make it better for Ren?

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_-few hours later-_

Hyano played with the jar for a while but eventually sleep took over. It hadn't been a long day however the smells in the house were very relaxing. The smells were that of nature, something one had to work for in the city nowadays. It reminded her of home, her old home, of Gandalf and all the times in-between. Even a little of the wraith who caused her nothing but trouble since he got here. She closed her eyes and sighed before drifting into a deep sleep on the couch.

The wizard's dreams awaited her indeed. They led her back to the good old days when magic still traveled the air, was present in the very soil she was sitting on. There was soft green grass under her, a tree whispering gently behind her, the birds on its branches sang a gentle tune, speaking of the sweet scent of flowers nearby. The air was warm, a soft breeze brushed against her skin while the sun's rays bathed her in a light golden glow. Fluffy clouds cast some small relieving shadows on those below. She was not alone... There was the giggle and laughter of children nearby, who probably ran around and played tag or flew a kite. This was a beautiful day, one of the many in the past.

However, all of a sudden, the sky darkened and all the grass, the tree, the birds, along with the sun's calming rays vanished from around her. The faceless children and the grass below her were destroyed piece by piece. There was nothing else but darkness. No sound came from the distance, the air was cold, almost freezing, biting into her skin in contrast to the warmth of the sun before. Only a single... familiar voice greeted her.

"_The world turns blank for those who linger..._"

Hyano stepped back and looked around before coming to the conclusion that there was nowhere she could go to escape this. She gripped her fists summoning magic into them but it fizzled out as fast as she had created it. This darkness even seemed to have consumed the magic she lived on. She stared at her hands then up into the nothingness.

"Who are you and why have you been tormenting me?!" She demanded, her green eyes doing their best to focus on the pitch blackness around her with no luck at all... She was left in uncertainty... And this voice again... She didn't know where it came from or what it wanted but it kept coming back randomly as if it tried to talk against her connection with Ren and took great pleasure in playing with her mind. Now was the chance to gain some answers...

Silence was the answer to her demand at first, the darkness itself did not move, there was nothing that indicated that anyone was with her. She was alone... As alone as one can ever be in this world.

"_Everything you know is consumed... Those who wait are to become nothing... Will you willingly let it all tear you to bits, piece by piece... cell by cell... Feel the pain... Feel as each muscle dissolves, as the bones crack... That is nothingness..._" It echoed in the darkness, completely ignoring her question.

The young-looking woman looked around confused. She turned around in the darkness several times, trying to find out what was being said until she gasped and fell to her knees. She felt like her body was being lit on fire yet there was nothing to be seen. She gasped and cried out, gasping for air which only seemed to burn her lungs. Then she felt something and looked at her hand which seemed to start dissolving like sand in the wind, making her eyes go wide and wider still as it moved down her arm and her other hand started the same process.

"What is going on?!"

"_This... is your future..._" The voice sounded once again, as if someone whispered it into her ear. "_Feel as it curses through every fiber of your being... Sense as your life loses its meaning... All that you so desperately clung to now abandons you so treacherously. This is what you desire? Choose wisely..._"

Hyano gasped and gritted her teeth against the pain and the feeling of becoming emptier each second. The sifting of her body moved up her arms, legs, torso, neck. As it came to her mouth she cried out closing her eyes in fright. Then-

_**CRASH!**_

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**-gasp- We hope Hyano will be alright...**

**But well... there is only one way to find out... And that is by reading the next chapter in two weeks!**

_CA Productions_


	14. High Five and Down Low

**Cub: *On Avp's head.* Spring! Spring! Spring!**

**Avp: *Twitching.* Yes... Yes I know it is almost spring Cub... But I still need my head!**

**Cub: Spring! Spring! No more damned cold! *Jumps up, knocking Avp over then takes off running.***

**Avp: The hell, Cub?!**

**Hyano: Ever since she lost 50 pounds she has been cold all the time. She is just a little happy that the weather is getting warmer.**

**Ren: Warm. Cold. Who cares? You are all weak either way.**

**Avp: Hush you! Enjoy the show everyone!**

**Cub: Spring! *Knocks Avp down again.***

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**We would like to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews and the favorites!**

_CA Productions_

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Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Chapter 14 - High Five and Down Low

The crash itself disturbed her dream and caused her to find herself in a white nothingness where she began to fall until she woke up.

The noise was not within her dreams. It was coming from near her next to the couch, at the desk she put the jar next to. Though, if she observed her surroundings well enough, she could tell that the jar was... gone... from the wooden surface of the low table. Nobody could be seen from her position just yet, although there was the sound of shuffling and maybe some very faint sniffing from behind the furniture along with glass shards being moved slowly.

The culprit being... Ren.

The Nazgul by now managed to break the jar entirely to tiny pieces, causing the ash of the burned flowers to spill out and he was laying right in the middle of it, his dark cloak now being covered by the grey substance. He was facing away from her and then rolled onto his back and laid on his other side while he sniffed the air again, then proceeded curling up a bit, smearing more ash onto his hood.

Hyano was in a cold sweat and panting. Her hands fisted the couch in an iron grip that nearly tore it. She took a moment to calm her mind and body before she slowly pushed herself up and crawled towards the end of the couch. She didn't try to think too much on her dream. No. It had been too much. She needed a moment to step back. Thankfully, Ren made for one of the best distractions known to Middle-Earth. She blinked when she saw an ash-covered wraith on her floor. Ren was... alright with this? Actually, it looked like he was doing it on purpose even.

"Ren?" She called out obviously a little confused.

The wraith did not reply to her. He seemed to be too occupied with whatever he was doing and outright ignored her and rolled on his other side again lazily, curling up there too to bathe his hood in the ashes, then all of a sudden stretched out his body leisurely and curled up again, then turned to face her on his side, although he didn't seem to notice her or simply didn't want to address her at all.

Hyano raised a brow. She had seen this kind of reaction before. Where had she seen this kind of reaction before? She stepped off of the couch and knelt in front of Ren. She kept a certain distance mainly because he was moving about with little regards for his gauntlets which could cause a void's worth of damage. She snapped her fingers a few times.

"Ren? Ren! Come on, snap out of it! What is going on?" She asked, trying to gain his attention and figure out what was driving him so insane. She noticed the ash and raised a brow. "Wait... Ren... Are you... are you high?" She asked, tilting her head slightly. He couldn't seriously be... Could he? He was a Nazgul...

The snapping of fingers did nothing this time. Despite him being used to her calling for his attention with this sound, it seemed like he ignore it either on purpose or simply he wasn't able to concentrate on it altogether. The Nazgul sniffed the air again and simply turned, then moved a metal-covered hand to pick at the ash under him, playing with it a little, fiddling with the formations he made. He seemed to be all too comfortable down there to even pay any heed towards her. He didn't show any signs of wanting to get up anytime soon either. Instead the wraith turned again, and slowly faced away from her, shifting in his position to try and 'bury' himself deeper into the substance. But of course it wasn't enough for that, although this didn't stop him from trying, though.

"Yes... you're high. So very high. Like a cat on catnip." The wizard said, not able to help a smirk tugging on her lips as she watched him. She slowly stood up and walked down to his the basement. Soon enough she came back a bouncy ball in hand. "Let's see how well you do with this now." She said, then threw the ball towards him. She wanted to see if he would go crazy or try and go after the object. It would fail of course given his current state but that would make it funnier.

The ball bounced happily towards the dark creature and bumped against his back, which caused it to bounce higher and over him, now rolling and bouncing away towards the couch. The wraith at first didn't react but in the end raised his hooded head slightly to attempt and focus on the object, his reaction being highly delayed, then simply went back to the ash on the ground, snuggling into it more, surprisingly ignoring the ball altogether this time. She might need a bit more attempt than that to get him to part with his beloved substance...

Oh, if the toy maker would know this... His plants worked after all...

Hyano raised a brow, then went back to the couch. Hmmm... this was interesting. She held her hands up, then flicked a finger and a burst of wind 'poked' Ren in the side. She repeated this process. She wanted to see him react, his high mind trying to make sense of the sudden pressures coming at him. In a way this was like poking a high cat with a stick. Just an invisible stick and the cat was a lot bigger!

As she probably expected, his reaction was delayed as his attention was completely on the scents he could sense and his mind was completely occupied with the tempting aroma. However, such poking just couldn't be ignored. After a few pokes, the Nazgul turned to his other side, trying to see what was poking him, although the move itself was very slow, lazy... as if he was dragging himself to do this and hoped that whatever was bothering him would be seen and taken care of with this one small move.

Hyano's reaction to this? She started poking his other side. She smirked. He was like a lazy fat cat. Then again, he weighed more than most fat humans in this age and he didn't even have an actual body!

It took a while again for Ren to react to this as well but once he did he repeated his previous move. He slowly but surely rolled onto his other side this time, then got comfortable on the ash. By now he managed to scatter the thing across the carpet in a large area for which Hyano might not be so happy to clean up later. The wraith gave a faint hiss, then raised his arms above his head as if to stretch out, then fell limp, simply... lying on the remains of the plants like this.

Hyano laughed and debated on getting a camera. Oh, showing Ren this later would be hilarious! However, then a thought came to mind. The words from her dream repeated all of a sudden as if they were told her just now... Could she even call it a dream? No... It was a warning. A flat-out warning... and the more she thought about it the more she knew what it was warning her about. The world was fading and all she knew was coming to an end, just like her stay. And whatever that voice was... it was aware of the dangers that might await her if she waited for too long. She sighed, then jumped off of the couch and went to the kitchen. Now, normally if one had a normal person in a state like Ren's one simply shock the senses with cold or hot water. However Ren couldn't feel temperature but he did have a fantastic sense of smell.

A few minutes later she came back with a large jug of red grape kool-aid. She looked down at Ren seeing how content he was... then she held the jug up and poured it right on his head.

About five seconds when the first drop of the liquid touched his hood later, the wraith gave a faint hiss first, feeling the... uncomfortable aroma in the air, having not even noticed that something was poured on his hood. Only after a few more seconds did he raise his hooded head in confusion and irritation, sniffing the air, feeling as the interesting scent of the ash vanished and was replaced by something... less... desirable. His warning and annoyed hisses grew louder with each second and in the end he reached up with both metal-covered hands and began picking at his hood, attempting to pull whatever was on it off. In the end, the Nazgul ended up hissing and spitting like a furious cat and rolled away from the ash, pulling and wiping at his hood as he attempted to get rid of the horrid stench.

Hyano sat on the couch the jug in hand on her lap watching the show. Ren in general was plain hilarious. However she didn't even smile during all this. She just sighed. She had hoped this would be a bit funnier but the realization she had come to had just ruined such joys for her.

"Damn..." She grumbled, then leaned over and picked up the bouncy ball on the floor before tossing it in Ren's direction. A test to see if his state of mind was getting back to normal or not.

By this time Ren was already sitting against the nearest wall, picking at his hood, now noticing that something was on it, although it was some kind of liquid so he couldn't quite remove them. He was grumbling to himself, mainly cursing out the substance but stopped when he heard the sound of something knocking on the floor. He tilted his hooded head to the side, then directed his invisible gaze at the bouncing object, his head following its movements, although with a slight delay still. His brief curiosity however was broken when the stench from his hood made itself known in his senses again in a wave, so he shook his head and went back to picking at the fabric with anger.

Well at least he was closer.

"Ren, it should rain tonight. If you go outside the rain should wash off the smell from your hood." She suggested, assuming he wouldn't care about getting wet so much as long as it got the smell off of his hood. It wasn't supposed to rain for another hour or so but that would give her more than long enough to get her head around what she needed to say and do... Maybe she should go ahead and text the herder family. Let them know the time had come much sooner than she thought it would. Sure, she knew it was coming... but she thought she at least had several weeks if not longer.

At that very moment the wraith's head bumped against the wall as he attempted to get rid of whatever was causing the stench, hissing loudly and sharply, paying little heed to what she said.

"I want it gone... NOW!" He shouted, mixing in some shriek and threw up his hands in desperation, then bumped his head into the wall again, pushing against it as if he can force the thing to stick to the wall instead... But it was to no avail. It wouldn't get off!

Hyano sighed, then walked over and grabbed his arm.

"Alright. Alright. I'll get it off." She told him as she started dragging him outside.

Ren didn't quite have the opportunity to say anything or to protest because the stench was driving him crazy by now. He was pulling on his hood, almost pulling his cloak right off with this, although the clasps that kept it fastened to his spectral body held fast. He hissed a few times once they made it outside, complaining about the sun and hunched his shoulders to try and defend himself from this, pulling his head closer to his body, although he didn't give yet up about the liquid in his hood.

Once outside, the wizard looked around before grabbing the hose.

"Hold still." she told him before putting the hose on full blast. Might as well get a little fun out of this if possible. Then she pointed at the wraith's hood. How does one remove an undesired liquid from a wraith's cloak? With another liquid of course!

Once she asked him to hold still, the Nazgul looked up and around for her form.

"What?" He asked, although as soon as he finished the sentence, the blast of water hit him full force. He gave a sound between a hiss and a shriek, then pushed his arms forward as if trying to block the stream by holding it away from him, but of course without any success.

The sound of something shattering reached the two, which came from the house next to theirs. Their neighbor was watching the scene with wide eyes, a hand holding the newspaper and another holding the air like he... held something before. Of course his cup of coffee was by now decorating the ground. He wasn't quite sure what to think of this so just... stared at them... speechless. This wasn't the first time he saw the cloaked person. He saw him a day ago as well but this was... well... strange. Is this some kind of a game or a strange fetish?

Hyano yelped when she heard a crash, then rolled her eyes when she saw her all too nosey neighbor.

"Oi! I don't watch you when you bring women over your wife doesn't know about! Buzz off!" She yelled, then turned off the water on the hose. "Feel better, Ren?" She asked, not bothering to look at the window again knowing the face would be priceless but not worth her time.

Said Nazgul was on the ground by now, giving small hisses as he panted, shaking his head and sitting on ground. His cloak looked darker than usual and was very much wet. It sucked in a lot of water and was weighting him down, reaching the point where Ren had trouble standing. He watched her instead with an expression hidden and unseen, although it didn't take a genius to guess that he wouldn't be smiling obviously if he could show expressions. The dark being reached out and grasped one of his loose sleeves, then began squeezing some water out of it. This is going to take a while...

"Fantastic. Question, do you remember what you were doing on the floor earlier?" The orange istar questioned, wondering if he even remembered that he had been acting like a cat that was so high he might as well have been on the roof! It had been outright hilarious and if given the time she might have also allowed it to continue just to see how long it lasts overall and to study and see what kind of flower that was but sadly she had no such luck. Time was finally working against her.

Ren stopped in what he was doing for a moment and slowly his dark hooded head turned towards the wizard upon hearing her question but returned to squeezing more water from his cloak in the next second, moving from the sleeves to the middle, gathering the dark fabric at one of the folds in his metal-covered hands and squeezed, water dripping onto the ground.

"Its scent was satisfying." Was all he told her and collected more of the cloak into his hands, confirming that he... kind of... remembered that the ash had a nice smell... But didn't quite answer to being able to remember what exactly he did in reaction to this. All he knew was that it was something... quite pleasing.

Hyano snickered.

"That is putting it lightly." She said and decided not to tell him just how bad it had been. That was a special memory just for herself. "Ren, we need to talk." She said and nodded towards the house. "It is rather important." She added, her usually happy voice turning serious all of a sudden.

However, as soon as she finished, something wet and sticky landed on the side of her face when she turned towards the door behind them. The substance turned out to be ordinary mud but of course... it got there only in one way. The wraith was still sitting there on the ground, having not moved from his place ever since she addressed him but now one of his gauntleted hands was dripping with mud that collected around him thanks to her little stunt a few minutes ago. He didn't say anything just stared at her intently.

Hyano yelped as the cold, wet, goo-like substance made contact with her face. She blinked a few times, then brushed some off and looked at it.

"The void..." She mumbled, then some part of her mind clicked. She walked over to the hose, not even addressing Ren for the moment. She turned the water up to full blast, then turned and sprayed him yet again. When it comes to wraiths water was just as bad as mud. Though, mud could be considered heavier.

Ren wasn't quite sure what she was doing or how she was doing it but the next thing he knew was that he was blasted by water again, causing him to lean back, forced to do so in order to keep his balance, seeing the blast wasn't something insignificant. He gave a shriek and turned his back to the force and shook his hooded head, feeling his anger rise with each second that went by. That witch! How dare she retaliate to him! Him! Her Lord! This only showed him where her treachery came from. She does not respect him any longer and needs a demonstration of his powers, the proof that he was much greater and mightier than her. Or anyone else in this world for that matter. So, attempting to sense where the blast came from, the wraith sounded a threatening hiss and turned around, fighting the strong stream to get to the source with an extended metal-covered hand, which in the end found the end of the hose.

Hyano yelped in surprise when the hose was grabbed before pointing it up into his hood quickly, then jumped back. She then scooped up a handful of mud and beamed it at him.

"Mud war!" She yelled childishly as she ran around him, trying to stay out of range now, feelings she had as a child in the caves of Moria coming back to mind, even if her memory wasn't up to date with it. She couldn't remember these times in detail but some part of her mind seemed to still remember all the emotions he gave to her. That was one move in the right direction. Or maybe the wrong one. Depends how one looked at it.

Well, being a very selfish and confident creature, the wraith did not expect any kind of retaliation from the wizard. Instead he thought she will take this punishment as a lesson and will bow her head in shame at least. Instead he got a mud ball right back at the side of his hood. Ren shook his head when he felt the pressure and raised a gauntleted hand to the fabric to note the wet and sticky substance. Unlike Hyano, the Nazgul never considered mud ball fights as games. He always took them seriously as a fight for dominance and threw mud at her until she submitted in the past. Today was no exception. He gave a sharp hiss and stood up, although felt the weight of his still soaked cloak, and scooped some mud as well, formed a ball from it and flung it at the female. But he didn't stop there. He began running after her with some more mud in his hands, intending to just throw it at her or smear it in her face. She will not get away from him!

"Eek!" The little wizard squealed when she saw Ren coming. Thankfully Hyano had something on her side. Speed and balance. Ren was heavy already with water and the new mud on the ground could easily bring his balance down, meaning that even with Ren being taller than her... Hyano was still way faster. This of course was used by the young female who ducked down, scooping up a handful of mud, then threw it back at him. She heard his hisses and understood he was angry. She would submit later. For the moment she would have her fun.

The wizard's observation was never more correct than now. Ren hated mud and that was for one single reason... It was sticky, it weighted him down, it was slippery and annoying. He could remember the many times he ended up with many pounds of mud on his boots when he was walking around on a rainy day. He hissed each time she managed to make a sharp turn but he was forced to slide before he was able to stumble after her. His sharp boots did nothing in such a mud. Her throw nailed him almost inside the hood, have it not been for him ducking down a bit for more mud, so the ball splattered on top of his head instead. This caused the wraith to shriek a bit and threw the two mud balls in her direction and sped up to try and catch her, extending his metal-covered hand towards her with all intention to teach her a lesson.

Hyano didn't realize he was so close until she heard a rip. Ren's gauntlets were as sharp as ever and her quickly shredded shirt that dropped to the ground became quick proof of that. She cried out in shock and turned to yell at Ren before seeing the same man still looking at them from the window. Now he must really think this is some fetish or something because now he seemed to be enjoying the show. This made Hyano turn red and cover herself, trying her best not to scream in embarrassment.

Ren stopped as soon as she did and felt his gaze forced to the side and lifted one of his hands, staring at the thorn fabric stuck on it. He didn't quite pay attention to what happened, only wanted to catch her and his 'swatting' was quite fast so he failed to notice that he actually got something other than the pressure he felt from the rip. He let the shredded piece of cloth dangle down from his sharp-tipped fingers and stared at it, tilting his hooded head to the side, then simply shook his hand a bit and watched as the fabric fell down to the grassy ground. Soon enough he returned his invisible gaze to the wizard who was by now apparently attempting to hide herself from him. He couldn't help but hiss in a dismissing manner. When will she learn that he cared nothing about her clothed or unclothed state? He sees the same thing, no matter how she thinks she looks. Ren also confused her stance as that of submission, seeing her shoulders were hunched and she looked ashamed or at least more humble. This caused the Nazgul to raise his chin and stare her down with a sharp hiss, his gauntleted hands forming into fists as he addressed her.

"I expect you know what you did wrong and will not repeat it in the future." The wraith hissed and stared at her, although he couldn't help but notice that she wasn't quite staring at him but something past him, so he tilted his hooded head to the side and slowly turned it to look at whatever was over his shoulder. That was when he finally spotted the man. The same one that saw him yesterday... He would have dismissed his presence altogether, identifying him as a completely harmless and insignificant human but there was something... He noticed his line of sight and followed it, noting that he was staring at the wizard. He could tell his temperature was rising and took great amusement in watching them. His gaze was all too intense for Ren's liking. Maybe Hyano was basically sentenced to death because of her treachery but... she was still his possession, his mate, his property and servant. Nobody... NOBODY lays eyes on her without his permission. And he couldn't remember ever having given permission to that sorry excuse of a runt human to stare. He turned to face the human and sounded a sharp ear-splitting hiss in his direction, this being a warning for him to back off and look elsewhere... Or else...

Hyano was a little caught off guard by the sudden protectiveness from her 'mate'. She never expected such a reaction from him. Or had she? She couldn't fully remember the being he was when she was young... Maybe she missed a whole other side to his personality. She shook her head before realizing the situation they were in.

"Ren, let's just go inside. That man is a damn pervert." She told him, knowing Ren's shriek would be enough to scare but not move the man and she was right. He still stood in place watching awestruck by all he had witnessed so far.

Ren -as usual- completely ignored her request. His hooded head and invisible gaze was fixed on the face of the male human who dared to still watch his servant even after he warned him about it. Does he seriously think he can challenge him? Because this is what it started to look like for the Nazgul. He warned him and he did not comply which means he didn't think he had to follow his command. Insolent fool! This caused Ren to change tactics and go from body language to physical threats much sooner than any other time. He stepped forward and got into a fighting stance, hissing all the while at the human, intending to approach him if he did not back off.

Hyano in a way felt... flattered by his behavior. It showed he cared about her still. As property maybe but he still cared. She had to shake off these feelings though. They didn't have time. She looked towards the window, then decided this problem needed to be fixed. She knew making herself unattractive wouldn't work. For one, Hyano was a very nice specimen of humanlike life. Perfect weight, short but still possessed long legs and a fantastic figure, however by this point the man wasn't even looking at 'her' anymore. He was looking at the wraith! He was scared and in awe of what he was seeing. Damn they needed to put an end to this before the man called the cops!

"Hey! Your wife is home, you pervert!" She yelled and thankfully right at that moment the man's wife did drive up.

Ren of course didn't let him get away. His anger and murderous instincts were only boosted when he saw and smelled the fear on the human. He did not kill for a long time and it affected his mind. He was a dark aggressive creature and a cold-blooded killer, so smelling blood and seeing life leave a body was basically essential every once in a while to keep his sanity. Especially now that his Lord did not command his mind... He was free to answer those instincts... So without warning and stopping, the Nazgul gave a last warning and threatening sharp hiss before he launched himself at the humans with one of his gauntlets positioned to strike at his head, intending to rip flesh and free blood, to hear screams and shouts of terror.

Oh yes... This is what his mind wanted. And nothing will stand in his way today.

Except the window.

So the only thing one could hear was a crash, a shattering of glass and a surprised shriek along with a thud coming from inside the house as the man fell backwards. The wraith himself was stuck at the windowsill, laying there on his stomach, still processing the happenings while the man shouted and fled from around him. What just happened? He had him! He was about to touch him! What kind of foul sorcery was that!

Hyano blinked a few times. Opened... then shut her mouth. She wasn't sure what feeling was bigger. Shock, horror or hilarity! She wanted to laugh so hard but she held it in... Held it in for all she was worth. She shook her head, then ran and grabbed Ren by his legs.

"Big idiot! I swear you are insane!" She yelled at him as she pulled on his legs as hard as possible. There was a man scared and a woman who is probably angry every moment because there is no way she doesn't know this man has been cheating on her for the past 5 years!

The wraith felt his leg being tugged and shook his hooded head, snapping out of his thoughts, then looked ahead of him to see the man run off. He tensed up and hissed sharply, quickly embedding the sharp tips of his metal gauntlet into the wood of the windowsill, trying to stop the wizard from taking him away from his prey.

"No! I can smell his fear! I want it!" He hissed and tried to pull himself inside instead. There was no way in Middle-Earth that he would let such a hunt slide. This male human deserved death for his insolence and the scent of his terror invited him for a bloodbath.

"You want to get us both in over our heads!" The young-looking istar yelled back before planting both her feet against the wall of the house and giving a hard pull, adding magic to the effort. It was magic she honestly didn't want to use at this time but he wasn't giving her much choice! "Ren we have to go or all of the city will be here and we don't have the power to handle that! Besides we have to leave Middle-Earth!" She added in annoyance and urgency. They didn't have time for this! Ren was being an animal and not in the obedient mutt kind of way either!

One might wonder just how much strength this wraith currently had as he resisted all the pull and magic she had to offer. His 'claws' were embedded deeply into the wood and he was pushing hard to pull himself into the house, hissing loudly and angrily at the insolent wizard. However, as soon as she sounded the term 'leaving Middle-Earth' he suddenly tilted his head to the side and stopped all resistance as he tried to process what was said. This of course made the effort and power the istar put into pulling him out all too much compared to his weight and he ended up flying out of the window and causing them both to get flung onto the ground, sliding to a stop with the poor wizard ending up having to struggle with the weight of the Nazgul.

"Why... why is it always on top of me?!" Hyano yelled from under him, groaning at his weight, then tried to push him off. "Uuuuugh! Let's get inside already and I will explain!" She grumbled as she put all the effort she had into getting his over-heavy butt off of her. How was someone with no body this damn heavy?! He emptied out his cloak just the other day for crying out loud!

There was a scream from inside the house and Hyano's eyes widened.

"Honey! I swear it isn't what you think! That thing-!" Came a yell before there was a loud smack then another scream as the wife of their neighbor came to the window.

"You whore! What have you and that tramp been doing in my home!" She yelled before going back into the kitchen and coming back with a broom. "I will beat you to death, you home wrecker!" She yelled.

"Inside! Inside!" Hyano said as she frantically tried to get the wraith off of her.

Ren's attention was caught by the aggressive female and looked at Hyano when she attempted to shove him off of her. In the end he did rise from the ground, so Hyano was relieved of his weight however he didn't seem to react to her desperate request. He didn't turn towards their home, neither did he back down when the woman began to approach them with the strange weapon in her hand. She apparently wanted to fight and expressed her aggression. He was a Nazgul, a creature of darkness and death. If she wishes for death by challenging a wraith like him... then he shall give it to her. Nobody threatens someone like him. Nobody gets away with the display of superiority in front of him. So he did not move but wanted to wait for the human female to meet him in a battle.

"Oh for the love of Middle-Earth! Ren! What part of we have to go did you miss?! We don't have time for this!" Hyano yelled, then saw the woman coming at them. Well more like her specifically. She groaned. This just wasn't going to be her day was it? She thought, then bent down, taking a running start and tackling the woman before she had a chance to use the 'weapon' on her.

"Woohoo! Cat fight! Get her honey!" Yelled the man from the window and all Hyano could think was 'Perverted prick!'

All Ren could do was stare at the females as they began wrestling on the ground, feeling angry that the wizard took his fight and kill from him. He gave a sharp hiss and stepped forward towards them, his metal-covered hands forming into fists but stopped short when he heard the shout from nearby. He didn't understand what it was about but this shifted his attention from his stolen kill to the male he wanted to murder in cold blood before. The one that did not respect his property but laid eyes upon ... and did not budge even after warning. The wraith sounded a hiss and flexed his hands, then began stepping towards the male with every intention to rip it apart to shreds. How dare it stay around even when it knows that a wraith is nearby! Did it not fear him! Then now it will learn to! Well, for the last moments of its life, that is...

Hyano eventually got the woman pinned in the mud, panting then heard a cry of fright and looked over in time to see the man having noticed Ren. He stepped back then tried to go farther into the house. "Damn it, Ren!" She yelled then yelped as she was punched in the gut and thrown off by the older-looking woman. She pushed herself up but was only up for all of two seconds before the woman tackled her to the ground scratching and yelling all kinds of curse words at her. By the time this was over it was going to look like a damn cat got to her again! And again, it was all Ren's fault!

Ren jumped into the house through the broken window, but simply had no true strength behind this uneasy lunge and ended up falling onto the windowsill halfway in, landing on his stomach. He struggled a bit when the glass shards kept a hold on his dark cloak but the sharp tips on his metallic gauntlet helped him slide into the room, while the sound of fabric ripping filled the senses of the dark creature. He ignored it however, his senses instead focusing on the fleeing coward human, smelling his fear and sweat as he panicked and attempted to get away from him. The wraith jumped to his feet and charged after the foolish man with claws extended to rip at his flesh as soon as he managed to reach him. There will be no mercy.

Before Ren had a chance to grab the man the man grabbed something of his own. He opened a box on the nightstand and turned around now holding a gun and without thinking twice he fired several rounds at the wraith.

Hyano kicked the woman off finally and jumped when she heard gunfire. "Damn it all!" She yelled, then ran for the house. Thankfully the woman was still down for the moment so she was actually able to make it to the window this time.

Ren was a wraith. A Nazgul. Undead dark being that already felt the claws of death every moment of his life, trying to push him down into the abyss where his brothers are waiting for him. He cannot die again. The only reason he was still there and moving was because of the curse on his ring. So while the bullets did meet his spectral form and punched holes in his cloak, other than jerking because of the force... the cursed man reacted with nothing else. He hissed sharply after each shot and stalked towards the man with determined strides, his gauntleted hands flexing and relaxing with each step he took, anticipating the feeling of feeling flesh being torn.

Too bad Hyano wasn't about to let that happen. Seconds before Ren would have been in grasping range he was struck by an energy pulse and shot right out of the front room window.

Another shattering of glass and a heavy thud later the wraith was now furious...

Hyano walked into the room panting, then looked at the man.

"... Say one word... and I tell your wife just how many women have been in this house." She warned before running and jumping out of the window after Ren. She didn't care about clothes and modesty at this point! She was leaving this world soon anyway, right?

The Nazgul rolled to a stop on the ground and hissed, spitting like a cat that was beyond pissed off. This was the second time Hyano is letting his kill get away. What is she doing? Why is she in his way? He knew she got all too soft in the years they spent apart but he was her Lord still, the dominant party of their uneasy cooperation and he will not stand to his servant stealing his prey or letting them flee from him. His gauntleted hands curled to a fist under him, grasping some dirt in the process and quickly stood up and stomped back towards the window. Only to find a problem. That particular window was too high for him, so the wraith ended up turning around to start walking back towards the door to finish what this stupid human started. And while he was there... he might as well get back his other prey...

Too bad for the wraith, Hyano was not done getting in his way. She had of course jumped out of said too high window... and a few moments later she landed square on the wraith. Thankfully, unlike the wraith, Hyano was light and lucky for her she was also light on her feet. Sadly though, she still landed on a very mad wraith from a high window. She had jumped from higher of course but that didn't make it any more pleasant. And now she knew Ren was not only heavy but also hard as a damn rock!

Said rock also went down like a rock once she landed on him, causing Ren to hiss in surprise and become disoriented for a moment there, not quite sure what just happened, seeing it was all too fast for his mind to catch up. First, he was about to hunt down his prey and the next thing he knew he was on the ground. It took him some time but he managed to sense and pressure on his back. He didn't waste time but scrambled to his feet, thinking that maybe this will get rid of that additional weight. Something must have fallen on him and he wasn't about to let it stop him!

Hyano yelped as she was thrown off like a cowgirl of a bull but quickly recovered. She waved her hand, a layer of ice covering the ground under Ren's feet then the door itself, dead bolting it shut. She then grabbed the back of his cloak and tugged.

What one thing was Ren very bad at? Balance!

And she was not disappointed.

The wraith gave a shriek of surprise and felt his body stop movement forward, but one of his feet raised for the next step, only to feel his other leg suddenly slide forward, causing him to fall onto his behind with a thud. He didn't stop there, however. Ren instantly hissed and tried to turn around and push himself onto his hands and feet so he can crawl instead. A little ice at the door will not stop him! So after he did all he could to get to the door, he formed one of his metal-covered hands into a fist and punched the ice.

Hyano sighed as she walked up beside him and knelt down to his level.

"Ren... the door is sealed shut... It is over. We don't have time for this." She told him, trying to make it clear that his hunt was over and that he needed to go ahead and give it up. They had bigger problems to worry about. If she had to cover this whole house in ice for him to get the point she would. It wouldn't be easy but she would.

Ren shrieked angrily and punched the ice again and again. No! His hunt cannot be over just yet! He almost had it! There was almost blood! He could see the terror in the eyes of the man! They were perfect for his own entertainment and for dulling his hunger until it came to him again! But his kill and right to kill had been taken from him. By his servant nonetheless. Once again she proved him how much he can trust her and how much help she truly is for him. This wasn't the first and he could tell it wasn't the last time either... He huffed and hissed, clawing at the ice but had to stop after a while when he felt his energy and powers decrease drastically. He stayed there on his hands and knees for a while and stood up after a few minutes of staring at the door. His gauntleted hands formed into fists and slowly but surely his dark hooded head turned towards the wizard.

"That's why..." The young woman said, noting how tired he got in a matter of seconds. "Ren, this world is probably hours away from killing us both. Unless you want to turn to stone again we need to leave soon." She told him, her own body starting to feel the drain. Using all that magic might cost them both in the end. Until they got themselves out of here their energies would replenish very slowly if it replenished at all... Her dream was right. So very right. She still mentally questioned where or who sent her the dream but felt it best not to ask at this time. If anything, she would ask someone on the other side.

"That wouldn't need be if you didn't use magic!" The Nazgul hissed at her, feeling that the only person to blame for their misfortune is her. She was the one unnecessarily standing in his way and casting magic after magic to stop him from killing someone who deserved it. And he wasn't yet done. He will try the next day. If needed, he will try the day after. Or at night while she was asleep. That male human is already dead because of the disrespect, challenge and insolence he displayed. Filthy scum! All humans are petty little cowards! Daring to anger him and then they run like some coward dog!

"That won't change anything, Ren! This world is getting ready to suck us dry either way!" Hyano snapped back. "You can whine about your hunt all you want but we have bigger problems! If we aren't off this rock soon, then we aren't getting off at all!" She added, getting more annoyed. He was just being so damn moronic about all this! There was no need for this! He was acting like a child, for Vala's sake! Then again he sometimes was nothing more than a damn child!

This was when Ren ultimately snapped. Not only did she show disrespect in the past days but now she is denying him his kill while as her Lord she should be helping him. The next thing he knows she is being insolent, physically fights him, prevents him from getting his prey back and now is shouting at him. How dare she! He was not her human friend she can talk to like this. He was a wraith. A Nazgul! Darkest and most fearsome creature on Middle-Earth. He was her master, she liked it or not and he will not tolerate such a behavior. He shrieked at her loudly, his voice echoing in the neighborhood and some alarms in cars even went off nearby, while the birds that perched on the cables and few trees quickly took off in a swarm in fright.

"How DARE you!" He hissed at her angrily and took a threatening step towards her. "You shut your mouth or I shut it for you, female!" He demanded angrily and began approaching her slowly. "You and your little morals along with your newfound caution irritate me! I don't want to hear anymore words from you for the next days and if you dare uttering a single one... you will end up without that all too active tongue of yours!" He threatened, his voice indicating that he was not joking around. Well, wraiths could not joke in general.

Hyano's eyes narrowed and she obviously was not worried about his threat because she stayed put and scoffed.

"I DARE because you are so stuck on how things used to be that you don't realize the world doesn't work that way anymore, nor will it in the next world. Your ways are half hazard and instinctual. What exactly do you think would have come of you completing your hunt, huh? The cops would be called and our escape from this world would be a straight chase which would end us up in a cell. Another prison. Or do you want that again? Because if either one of us gets caught I don't have the power to save us anymore and that will quickly be proven when you are in chains and turned to stone!" She replied, saying a good many words, though, she straight dared him to touch her. It showed in her stance that she was ready to shoot him with a blast the moment he got too close for her comfort. This may kill them both in the end but... hey... anger was probably the biggest component of their relationship at this point.

"You lived here for so long but you don't know the world so well after all." Ren hissed lowly and stepped towards her again, not at all stopping, no matter how she reacted to his approach. "These humans are easy target. They don't know what a wraith is. There is no magic to save them. They are defenseless and I would be able to rule it all if it wasn't for your pathetic cowardice!" He shouted the last few words, his fists tightening at his side. "You irritate me and if I knew I will not die the moment I severe your delicate little neck... you would not be talking right now. You do not know your place. You became insolent, commanding me around like I am your servant. But I must disappoint." He trailed off with a sharp hiss and stared her down while his aura actually managed to strengthen. The hunt just now along with the fear of the man triggered his instinct and now he began to become like any of his brothers. Ruthless, aggressive, fearsome and all too focused on the kill. And the kill... was her. "I am the most powerful creature on Middle-Earth. I cannot be killed, I cannot be harmed. I bring fear into the minds of these pathetic rats; I have tasted their terror and the aroma of their blood. For thousands of years instinct led my kin to victory and slaughter. The world never changes... There is always the prey... and the predator."

"The world is always changing. Those who are the hunters become prey. Those who are the prey become hunters. Plants can grow teeth even, however in this world those with magic are as good as dead. You are right. This world knows nothing about you and you want to know why? Because without me YOU don't exist in this world. YOU have no power. These people don't have to raise a finger. All they have to do is wait you out. Even if you did get ANY foothold it would be short-lived in all manners of the word. You will be left to turn to stone and the 'rats' will keep walking long after you turn to dust. Your instincts are for the hunt but in this world, at this moment, the hunt won't keep you alive! Me getting you off this rock and to the next world where you can thrive and actually have a snowballs chance in the desert of a long rule will keep you alive!" The wizard countered, not bothered by his veiled threat. Then again, she never was.

Ren hissed, trying to silence her and raised his chin in an attempt to stay dominant and talk down to the servant she is.

"I have yet to see a human successfully hunting me. They always realize that they cannot as much as touch me or harm me and run away like coward dogs. Would you call that human inside a hunter? I see your mind was frozen along with the door but let me help you break it down!" He shrieked and stepped towards her, although did not intend to attack. It was a bluff charge to express his fearlessness and see her cower before him or at least make a move of defense that would satisfy his mind. "I want blood! I want screams! I was my prey to hear their heart in their throat as they stare at me! I want to see how their precious life leaves their eyes! I want the smell of death! I was made to kill so I will kill! If needed, I will murder to kill!" The wraith completely lost it by now. He let his instinct engulf his mind more as the seconds went by, unable to control it, making him become a bloodthirsty animal. He was for too long deprived of a kill and death.

"You will murder to kill... Does that even make sense in your own head!" Hyano yelled back, then in reaction to his little try at scaring her she pushed him back with a small pulse of magic. This was just to let him know that he wasn't getting any closer to her anytime soon. "And last I checked, you lost our bet, meaning these humans did a good job of besting you already once." She pointed out, knowing he likely tried to forget about that or didn't mentally let it count as a failure however a fail is a fail in her book.

"Yes, I will murder to kill. I will kill everyone who stands in my way! That includes you." The Nazgul hissed threateningly as he stepped back a bit when the magic pulse hit him but held fast and began approaching her again. "And they did not defeat me!" He basically shrieked in response, not even wanting to listen to such false claims. "I just would have needed more time. Countless human scum tried to fight me but each was sent whimpering like coward dogs. Because that is what they are..." He hissed. "... and they need a master! Just like you!" He shouted and lunged.

Now if Ren was in his right mind he would realize that wasn't about to work. However he was far from it, so she had to show him. Hyano reacted instantly and clapped her hands together right as he was in midair. When she did this, there was a loud snap and a pulse hit him along with a huge flash of bright light. In essence it was the equivalent of a magical flash grenade. Only not nearly as loud, thankfully.

The Nazgul shrieked in surprise when the light hit him, irritating his spectral form and blinding him. He landed on the ground with a thud, attempting to stay on his feet which he magically managed to do, although he slid backwards quite some, leaving adequate distance between wizard and wraith. He stopped sliding and stayed in his position frozen like that for a little while until he raised his hooded head to gaze at the insolent wizard and took a step forward with a sharp hiss, which all of a sudden was drawn out and became faint, the dark creature's knees buckled under him and he fell on them, his head suddenly tilting forward and he simply fell onto his stomach. He could not go unconscious but he became inactive, his mind deactivating due to the sudden magic deprivation in their connection. Hyano used too much, which meant he did not get enough from her, he could not convert the necessary amount for him to function, so was forced to meditate while he control of his body. His mind needed the emergency magic stored within him to keep the curse flowing through him.

Which also meant that all of a sudden the magic flow between them came to an abrupt halt...

The orange istar gritted her teeth and gasped when the connection broke and her energy dropped like a rock. She fell to her hands and knees, shook as she tried to resist what she knew was coming.

"Damn it all, Ren... Why don't you ever listen..." She whispered before she passed out on the ground. She did not want this to happen out in the open like this but it seemed she had no choice in the matter.

* * *

_-some unknown time later-_

He could smell something... This was satisfying for the mind of the dark creature as he was still left disoriented, his senses failing him for a while now. But at least some scents can be recognized now, even if they weren't the most pleasant. He identified the smell as grass. So he was lying on the ground with his face down as it seemed or at least with his head resting on it in some kind of manner. He still couldn't move his limbs, though, so couldn't change his position. Slowly but surely the faint sounds around him were registered as well, although still dulled and he couldn't quite tell what is going on. His sense of smell expanded slightly to check his security and as it seemed there was no danger nearby. He was forced to lay there and wait while his spectral body 'powered up', restarting his senses and letting him see at first in a blurry manner and then finally his sight sharpened, letting him see the surroundings that were in his line of vision. The Nazgul's mind was still struggling but instinct told him that he will need to move or else he might be ambushed if he stays an easy target. Especially when none of his brothers are nearby to stand guard. In the end he hissed and began pushing himself up to his hands and knees, even if he couldn't quite feel his limbs...

At that same moment, Hyano groaned and opened her eyes when their connection was kick started. She had somehow ended up turning over... There wasn't much sunlight left thankfully so she hadn't burned.

"I am lying outside half naked... and my body hurts... Just fantastic..." She grumbled before she pushed herself up into a sitting position, groaning the whole way. "Ugh... Just bloody fantastic..." She added before cracking her neck. This was going to take a while.

As Ren sat up, he shook his hooded head a bit, trying to clear his senses as much as he could before looking around, trying to orient himself. Where was he again? What is he doing? What is going on? Not like he didn't remember, because his mind did tell him what exactly he did before his 'deactivation' but his instinct was once again pushed down thanks to this small shutdown so was able to use his still awkwardly used free-will to think for himself. Being a wraith, he felt no shame or regret for whatever he did or said, he simply handled it like nothing happened, so simply struggled a bit and it needed a few tried but eventually he managed to stand, although on wobbly legs.

Hyano saw the black mass and thanked the Valar that no one called the cops. She slowly pushed herself to her feet but ended up leaning over with her hands on her knees.

"There goes my relaxing day for today..." She said to herself before looking up at Ren again. She debated on saying something but couldn't think of anything to say so waved the thought off and finally pushed herself upright and started walking towards Ren. It took her a moment but eventually she came up to him, then passed him and weakly took his gauntleted hand and gave a gentle tug, heading back towards the house. She was sure words weren't needed. He was likely thinking the same thing anyway. They need to get back inside and get back what energy they lost.

"What are the plans for today?" Came the question from the ever so curious wraith who she was tugging along towards the door. His mind still had the thought that his meditation will not last for too long, so he should be able to back onto his normal energy levels in no time. The Nazgul's murderous instincts were drowned and the lack of fear and scent of blood in the air made him uninterested in hunting. The human man was safe for now... But he still didn't find the thought of sitting around all day an interesting occupation and she usually had some ideas for the day.

Hyano looked at him, then thought for a moment.

"I haven't decided yet. We may be packing up and leaving tomorrow. I'm not sure yet." She admitted. She was only considering this option and hoped that the wraith would not pull anything during the trip. He very well might if given the free reign to do so. She honestly was planning on leaving soon in either case, though, even if the voice didn't hurry her up her decision. They had to. There just wasn't enough magic to keep two creatures of magic like themselves sustained. Especially not in their current state. At least in the new world they might have a better chance.

"Leaving? Now?" He asked as they entered their home, turning halfway towards her, tilting his hooded head to the side. So soon? She didn't say anything about 'tomorrow', just soon. What? But he didn't yet see everything... Yes, the magic might not be the strongest but there was at least one place which he wanted to see before they left. He thought they had more time... and can go on a trip there... He fell silent right after and instead of saying anything the wraith moved to the basement where he unloaded the items he claimed before grasping the fake cat from the pile and came upstairs again, sitting down at the couch. He reached out with his armored hand and pushed the button on the remote, switching the black box on to watch his entertaining show while his body and mind attempted to relax. Well... his silence lasted only this long and couldn't help but share his thoughts on this matter, having fiddled with the fake cat all this while. "I want to see Moria..."

"Moria?" Hyano said, stopping what she had been doing and sat down with a relieved sigh, her body still aching and tired. She thought about this for a moment. "Moria is... not what you will remember." She warned him. The humans had dug their way into Moria long ago, the creatures inside having died long ago as well. It wasn't as much of a place of wonder as it was a museum in itself now. "Are you sure you want to go there?" She asked. She knew already he wasn't going to like what he was going to see but if he really wanted to go... she would take him.

There were many things that aren't the same as he remembered them, Ren's mind concluded, so nodded curtly at her, not looking in her direction instead stroked the 'cat' and watched as a character was ripped in half, screaming and gurgling in its own blood. He couldn't help but hiss. He better enjoy this while he could... Something told him they won't have this in the new world. And how she talked... it will be very soon.

"I want to see the destruction they did... and if they found my stash." He said and turned his hooded head towards her now. Of course he also had a bunch of items there, including her staffs, her flutes, gold, gems, weapons, armor, whatever he could find. He wanted his items back. And maybe... the humans didn't get to all parts of the mines. It was huge... No way could they have found everything. His stash was also deep within the mines, at the other end of the gorge.

Hyano had to think a moment. The stash... What kind of stash? She had to stop and ponder; narrowing her green eyes a bit before gasping, something dawning on her from her time with him but sadly she didn't remember much. She knew he must have collected some items along the way. It was easy to assume he had them somewhere. She cringed. In the number of years he had been away it was likely to have been found by now. However, she decided not to tell him that.

"Fine... We will go by there on the way." She decided as she yawned.

The Nazgul nodded; pleased that she decided they will make a stop there but still. Leaving so soon made the wraith a little... maybe disappointed? He won't have any of what he has now. No new exciting discovery, no new inventions to rip apart, no surprises... These are something that made his stay so... worth it and actually entertaining. He hissed as he got more comfortable, sliding a little further down, putting the fake cat into his lap, watching the show. He should meditate, though. Today's activities sapped his energy quickly. If they are truly leaving... he will have to rest.

* * *

_-next morning-_

Hyano woke to still being on the couch. She was cuddled up to the wraith. Not much surprise there, even if they fought the day before. This wasn't all too uncommon, so she learned to just... Move on, especially after seeing how easy Ren parted with his angry thoughts. She yawned and stretched before standing up. Her body felt stiff. It seemed even near the wraith she wasn't as fully charged as she used to be. This made her sigh. She didn't want to leave any more than he did. She was a little excited to see old friends but in the end this was her home and she would miss it greatly. She got up and walked into the kitchen to make herself something to eat. Might as well not make a fuss over it.

Ren spent most of his night sitting on the couch, meditating, which ended in a half success but didn't know why. He was still noticeably tired but he didn't let that bring him down. Instead -to try and save some energy- he remained on the couch, letting Hyano sleep against him and watched his show, stroking the fake cat and hissing at the screen sometimes when something interesting happened in the show he was watching. Once she awoke and moved away, the wraith didn't waste time but moved as well and shut down the black box. He just noticed that the next episode was actually a repeat of what he watched so far... and he wasn't interested in that. He could remember it clearly. While the wizard was busy in the kitchen, Ren decided to start 'packing', see what he needed of his items that he collected in the basement. There was a ton... and they more than likely cannot bring them along... His possessive instinct was triggered and found it hard to choose... so he stood in front of all his beloved collections and pondered, picking at the pile. He will need his bouncy ball! Just like the fake cat. He wanted the lighters! Those will come too... He started rummaging through the belongings, stashing all these into the many pockets inside his cloak, then moved out of the basement to the shelf, where he searched only briefly, picking up the book she used to tell stories from for him. That old thing comes too! Well... what else...

Hyano walked in, eating some pancakes. She blinked when she noticed the wraith busying himself about the house, grabbing various items and putting them in his pockets. She rolled her eyes, mentally thinking _'He will probably be even harder to kick off if he falls on me today._', then giggled lightly to herself before sitting down on the couch.

"Don't worry so much about getting everything. There will be plenty of items to find in the new world as well, I am sure." She said, thinking it would probably stop him from trying to shove everything into his cloak.

The wraith only waved in her direction, dismissing what she said and simply continued looking around. What did he forget? He has the lighters... bouncy ball... cat... book... gun. Maybe that should be enough. Everything else surely can be replenished in the new world. So, thinking he got what he needed, the Nazgul nodded to himself and slowly walked back into the basement... Just to... well... look at his collection the last time and make the final decision of what he needed. Maybe he will change his mind in the end and take a few more things... So with this, the wraith sat in the middle of the pile and started sorting through his items again.

Hyano rolled her eyes and finished her breakfast. She went to the kitchen and cleaned up her dishes before going to her room to change. Once this was done she started packing as well. The wraith kind of sealed the deal for her. She had still been in debate but him getting ready was enough to tell her it was time to leave. She packed her clothes and such, items and some basic food. She went to her bookshelf and looked through it before finding a rather large book with very small print. It was a collection book. In a way it was a book full of everything from the other books she had. It took her years to finish copying everything down in it but she knew it would be worth it once it was time to leave. She couldn't exactly leave all that information behind, however taking all those books was not an option either. She looked through and noticed the story book was gone as well. Of course he would have snagged that. She put her things in the trunk of the car and pondered if she was forgetting anything before deciding she hadn't and went inside and to the basement.

"Ren. It's time to go." She called, her tone neutral. No smile was gracing her lips, while her eyes told of the sadness she felt. Despite everything, this was her home for thousands of years. Her green gaze wandered for a last time about the room and reached out to touch the wall as a silent final goodbye. She watched it longingly before gesturing for the wraith to follow her. She did not want to linger... Not now.

The Nazgul was basically buried within his stash of items, rummaging through them, throwing a few items around, and attempting to find anything that might be any use to him. But he couldn't find anything else that interested him enough to take along and weight him down. Well, he did find her 'toys' which he snatched after he noticed them in her nightstand, having hidden them right into the bottom of his item hoard, of course they also landed right back there before she could have a glimpse at them. Hearing her voice, the Nazgul peeked out from his stash and climbed out, brushing his robe off before kicking a few items back towards the pile, then walked towards her and out of the basement. He placed a few more items into his pockets but if one looked at him... there was no visible change on his form, seeing the items he stashed away were all small, except the fake cat, which was still sitting on the couch. He quickly grabbed it. Now he was ready to go.

Hyano waited for him to step out of the house before doing the same. However, she stopped at the door. She looked over her house one more time before lifting her hands, then setting the place on fire. They weren't coming back... and she would not allow the humans to have any of the knowledge that was left behind. They would not use it for the reasons they were meant for. It was sad to see all of it go... but she had no choice. She stepped back from the burning building as it continued to go up in flames before running to the car and opening it up for him, keeping her eyes and mind focused. So... this is how Gandalf felt each time he had to depart.

"Let's go." The wizard called in a hurry and started the car.

The suddenly appearing flames made Ren hiss in surprise and jump back in shock, turning around to see the tower be engulfed in flames. He backed up a little, not sure what is going on, seeing his vision was blurred by the sudden light, making him hiss in frustration and shake his head, backing up more only to bump into the end of the car. The dancing light told the wraith that it was fire... But why... burn the tower? He never understood the living... they were so confusing. He shook his head once more, hissing even more before stopping when he heard her voice. He started blindly tapping the car's part where he was until he found the handle on which he pressed and climbed into the car quickly, closing the door right after. He hated fire with a passion.

"Why did you do that?" He asked as he turned around and stared at the blinding flames. Even when he couldn't see much the dancing light was so... mesmerizing... It somehow was still hypnotizing for his kind despite the danger they carried. This is why he was so addicted to his lighter collection. Small flames were entertaining.

"I can't take everything with me. However, I can't let the humans have it either. There are many things and information in there that the humans would easily try to use as a weapon against each other." The istar explained as she rolled out onto the road. She already heard the sirens coming. Someone probably called the fire department. She didn't want to be here when they arrived. "You should get comfortable. Even by car this is a rather long trip." She informed him. With all the things he grabbed he hopefully can keep himself entertained for at least part of the trip.

The Nazgul hummed at her answer, finding some logic in that actually. Hissing, he crossed his arms over his chest and watched the road ahead, looking out the window, entertaining himself with the environment they passed for a while with the fake cat sitting in his lap. If it is going to be long... What will he do on the whole car trip? He hoped it won't last longer than a few hours... he was a restless wraith by nature and needed to move about, only then staying put if he had something to do or watch... He already missed the black box. Hissing, folding his arms the other way he started getting bored already, so picked at the 'cat' in his lap.

Man... This will be a long day...

* * *

**Well, here starts Hyano's and Ren's next great journey. We shall see how well they can cope with the long ride in two weeks.**

_CA Productions_


	15. Journey into the Mind

**Cubby: *Humming as she makes cookies. The doors are all bolted shut. The windows are all boarded up. And everyone... is kicked outside! Pulls out a tray of cookies and smiles.* Ah, a perfect batch. *Sets them out to cool and walks away.***

**Ren: *Smashes through window and steals five of the twelve cookies.***

**Hyano: *Kicks down door and steals five more.***

**Avp: *Comes in for a glass of milk and sees cookies. Decides to take one. Goes to eat it.***

**Cubby: *Walks in and sees Avp and her almost empty tray of cookies. Growls then pulls out rolling pin.* How dare you?! *Smashes it over Avp's head***

**Avp: Gah! *Drops cookie and takes off running.* What did I do?!**

**Cubby: *Runs after.* I'm a smash your head in!**

**Ren and Hyano: *Pop heads in then steal the last two cookies.***

**Hyano: Enjoy the show, folks! *Hides***

* * *

**We would like to thank everyone for the kind reviews and for sticking with us. So, time to repay this loyalty and kindness with a chapter.**

_CA Productions_

* * *

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

* * *

Chapter 15 - Journey into the Mind

The sirens of fire trucks and police cars filled the morning, frightened and curious people gathered around the fire that engulfed the tower-like home. Once it stood proudly, representing the old ancient days, being one of the last relics of the past. Now... it was groaning as if in pain and began to sway as if tired. The fire held no mercy. It tore at its walls with its searing fangs.

The bright flames reflected off of the glasses of the middle-aged man who stood with an awed expression among the people, inspecting the work of the firemen as they attempted to fight the hot element and debated on moving inside to see if anyone needed their help. But the place was already too unstable and a few explosions sounded from within, indicating that some kind of gas cans were reached by the fire. Each time the sharp shotgun-like noise sounded, the man would cringe, his grip on the amulet he received just two days ago tightening.

The people gasped in surprise and shouted in panic, asking about the people inside and demanding action from the firemen. But Odkoner just stared without a sound, without even making an attempt to offer help. Instead his gaze lowered to his hand which he brought up and opened it to reveal the magical jewelry. The tiniest smiles graced his lips for a moment.

_Good luck..._

Was all he whispered in his mind and sighed, turning his back to the tower just as it gave its last groan and collapsed, sending dust and embers towards the people in the streets. The wave of wind and sudden warmth from the fire brushed against his skin and ruffled his hair while his clothes danced with the force but he just kept going. There was no reason to turn back anymore.

There was nothing to turn back for.

* * *

_-many hours later-_

Hyano was sure they were in the clear. People were too distracted by the fire to even notice they had departed... It was a very calm few hours of driving, only some cars populating the roads as they went. No distractions, no danger, no unwanted company. Maybe their journey to the new world will be an uneventful one after all... Maybe she was making a fuss about this in her thoughts for nothing. Well, that is what she thought until she heard the sounds of a cop siren following them. She cursed under her breath, then looked back at Ren in her rear view mirror.

"Do me a favor and stay perfectly still." She told the wraith as she pulled over. Having a chase was not going to be a very good idea so she assumed it smarter to just pull over and 'talk' it out.

When they stopped, the police car silenced the sirens as well and pulled over right behind them. One cop climbed out, the other still sat at the driver's seat, waiting for anything to happen just in case the driver decides to flee the scene before they can make the control. The cop walked up towards Hyano's side of the car and motioned for her to roll down her window, bending down just a little, not yet noticing the wraith in the backseat who was right now watching him intently, although motionlessly. For now...

"Good day, ma'am." The man greeted her with a serious emotionless expression, his eyes hidden by sunglasses and his hair covered by his hat. "Could I see your papers, please?" He asked, putting in as much politeness as he could, although it was clear he doesn't find any fun in his job.

Hyano nodded and retrieved her license and registration. Simple as that. She then pulled out an insurance card as well and handed it to him. Nothing too complicated about that.

"You should smile more, sir. It makes people wonder what you are thinking." She said, trying to put him in a better mood. If nothing else it will make this whole ordeal a little easier on herself if the cop liked her. So far Ren was being good but who knew how long that would last.

The cop certainly wasn't in the mood to discuss what is healthy or not and simply blinked at her, still having the same expression he greeted her with.

"I will take it into consideration, ma'am." He simply replied before standing tall and started looking through the papers she gave him, only glancing at her once he wanted to compare the picture of her on her license. He only grimaced a little before bending down and looking at her, not yet giving back anything, his eyes briefly flickering to the inside of the car, noting the few belongings inside. "May I ask where you are going? The roads are rather dangerous around here. We had alerts about three robbings along the road here... A motor gang should be cruising after a few miles." He warned her as it was his duty before stopping and his eyes halted when he caught a glimpse of something inside the car. Hmm... What is that on the backseat? "Who is that?" The cop asked, pointing at the still figure, who only watched him in return.

"Yes, I know of the robbings. I fell victim to one last night, so I am well aware." The wizard said, mentally still annoyed over what happened to her shop. When the cop finally took notice of Ren she smiled. "That is a prop for the Moria exhibit. That is actually where I am heading now. He is supposed to look like the wraith that is described in the cave art stories there. I think I did a pretty good job. Don't you?" She asked, looking back at Ren. She mouthed a 'stay still' in Black Speech, making sure the cop couldn't see before looking back to police officer yet again.

The cop couldn't help but stare at the thing in the backseat, grimacing a little and hissing, obviously not so easily fooled by the talk.

"I... Can I have a look, please? I was... always interested in... art and sculptures..." He turned towards her his voice being all too neutral for having said the truth, still holding onto her papers this way forcing her to stay if she didn't want to lose them and leaned in, his hand grasping the door of the car, still having that expressionless face on, perfectly hiding what he was thinking. Of course he suspected something was off, especially because the... thing that is on the backseat is looking at him, as if observing. That can't be a coincidence. In addition, it was perfectly sitting on the backseat as if made to sit in there instead of being prepared into an exhibition. He thought is must be another person, hidden. Maybe he is someone they are looking for?

Hyano made a mental note to beat the Void out of Ren if he messed this up but nodded all the same.

"Go ahead but be careful. His body is made to move so the exhibit can place him in different positions. Kind of like a doll. So, he is a little on the fragile side." She explained to him before unlocking the back door. Either Ren would stay still or try to kill the cop. Hopefully the latter wouldn't happen but she was ready to punch it if the wraith lost his little act back there.

The cop nodded back at her and moved away from the driver side of the car towards the backseat where the door was unlocked. He watched the motionless figure with great suspicion and slowly opened the backseat door.

Ren stayed still from the moment Hyano told him to, knowing she surely knows what to do and say... although he held the human male under his judging gaze, turning his hooded head back forward once the male came towards his side, looking out at the road, staying still as she asked him to. He started to tense up once the cop opened the door to the car, ready to lash out. While he trusted his mate... the problem was that he didn't understand what they talked about, so didn't know that he had to pretend being just a doll.

He hesitated but in the end bent down a little and peeked at the cloaked thing, not yet touching it, scratching his head in deep thought while watching it. After a while he shrugged and while the wraith did not move, he still moved to touch it, making contact with the dark cloak covering the creature.

Neither did the Nazgul know that Hyano let the man touch him... So as soon as he felt the man's hand on his arm, the wraith hissed, quickly lashing out at the cop, pulling him right inside the backseat with a furious shriek, sinking his 'claws' into the neck and ribs of the human.

This of course alerted the other cop...

"Damn it, Ren!" The istar yelled and quickly jumped up, slamming the door shut before sliding into the car through the sunroof. She called up a wind spell, creating a dust storm around them before driving off. _When in doubt, run like hell_! She gritted her teeth. "He wasn't going to hurt you, Ren! I told him you were a doll and he was checking to make sure." She told him in a scolding tone. She had thought this might happen but she had hoped against it. Even if they got away from the cops now they did have one problem. "We might not be able to go to Moria now." She told him honestly.

"And how was I supposed to know that?" The Nazgul hissed right back as he held onto the still twitching man, who was by now half-dead because of blood loss and lack of air, seeing his lungs filled itself with his own blood and began to cough it up onto the car seat and the floor. It didn't bother the wraith though, if anything, he turned his hooded head towards the substance and hissed in satisfaction. It was so sweet yet so disgusting... Something to crave and push away... At the news of perhaps not being able to go to Moria snapped the Nazgul out of his thoughts and looked up at his mate, shaking his head in defiance. "No... We go to Moria. If needed I will kill them all." He practically ordered as he pushed the male off of him, letting him drop onto the car's floor.

It didn't take long for the siren of the police car to be heard as the driver finally gave chase, going full speed after the car of the wizard.

"Slight problem with that... We are being chased and likely will be for a while. We might end up going on foot. We won't have the time." Hyano told him before coming to a four way. The light turned red as she got to it but there was no way in Middle-Earth she was stopping.

"Then make sure we aren't chased!" The wraith practically shrieked as if it was very easy to do and looked back, turning to watch the police car as it tried to catch up and bump into them. The loud screeching sound of the sirens made his senses go mad and he hissed, shaking his head and turned back around to stare at the road, putting a hand on his head. "Make it stop!" The Nazgul shrieked and shook his head again. He didn't understand anything about traffic and lights, so didn't fuss or scold her about the red light, neither did he think they might have an accident because of that.

Hyano did what she could to time it but in the end it was really only luck that allowed her to make it through without getting hit by another car.

While the wizard had luck, the police car had not so much. While he passed through for the most part, the back of his car was hit by another, which caused it to slide to the side, causing the driver to lose control over the vehicle.

The woman rolled her eyes at his demand but relaxed as the cop car was forced to stop thanks to her stunt. She sighed.

"They have phones too, Ren. They probably already told people what we look like. We are probably going to have to abandon the car once we get out of town." She told him as she tried to merge into traffic, get lost among all the other cars. This required her to calm her speed a little but she went as fast as the speed limit would allow, not wanting to draw too much attention.

"Why can't you just kill them all? Would be easier..." The wraith commented and relaxed, leaning back in his seat, sighing in annoyance. She was good with magic... Then why doesn't she just... destroy the ones who try to go against her. The Nazgul soon started picking at the dead body, first kicking it a few times before deciding to look what he had with him... He started rummaging through the cop's pockets, finding his radio, his regular cell phone, gun, and his badge... Hmm... Nice metal object. And shiny. The Nazgul let the body fall again and looked at the badge, poking it, finding interest in its bright color, reflective surface and thin form.

"Hmm... there is this problem with a lack of magic... and there are a lot more of them than me... So I might be able to take out some but that isn't going to work for very long." Hyano replied as she drove half watching him and half not caring. He could have whatever he wanted from the dead cop, not like he actually knew or cared what that was actually for. The idea of a cop version of Ren popped into her mind... He would be fired in a week. Not only would he refuse to wear his uniform but he would also keep killing all the perpetrators and stealing their belongings. She giggled lightly.

The Nazgul looked up at the giggle and tilted his head to the side, watching her, stopping every movement.

"What is funny?" He asked, then resumed looking through the belongings of the cop before pushing his body to the side, finding interest in his badge and gun for now. This one was actually heavier... which can only mean it was loaded. He never held a gun in his hands which was loaded... It felt much better, actually dangerous; just what he thought was suitable for him. He tucked it into his cloak as it was, then leaned back in his seat, holding up the badge, letting the sunlight reflect upon it, playing with the reflected light as he moved it in his hand.

"Just got an image of you as a cop. Now that would be funny." The istar said with a smile, then noticed the reflection off of her mirror. "That is a cop badge. It informs everyone that they are a cop and what rank they hold." She explained, not sure if he cared but assumed she should tell him all the same.

"Cop? What is a cop?" The Nazgul asked, stopping his game as she described the item and the man. So far how he could piece the information together, these 'cops' might be something of higher rank if they have the right to stop people... or maybe his mate is just being too soft. Who knows?

Once she felt they were far enough out of town Hyano parked the car.

"We should probably go by foot from here." She informed him as she got ready to get out and start walking.

Once they stopped, the wraith looked around, noting the deserted road and climbed out. Well, they will walk now. He hated doing that with a passion if he wasn't hunting... And right now he wasn't... Instead these stupid mortals are chasing him again. He dearly hoped there will be no one at Moria... He slammed the door to the car closed, clearly not in the mood to walk, almost frustrated and pouting like a child, then dragged himself towards his mate, so they can walk together and she can show him the way. Things changed... No matter how much he looked at his environment, he couldn't recognize anything. It was confusing his mind. He knew they must be close and he should be able to see the forests nearby... but there were none.

Hyano rolled her eyes at his show of frustration. She had her backpack full of some basic needs. Clothes, the book, a few potions and some food and water. Not much food and water but enough to get her to Moria. She sighed and started walking. This was going to be an excessively long trip. She was sure she would hear some complaining about having to walk but to be honest it was the moronic wraith's own fault. His instinct to kill was a bit of a problem in situations like these.

The Ringwraith sighed and followed the wizard, making sure to keep up with her speed, walking not as enthusiastically. The most problem came from the fact that right now there was nothing to do, just walk... Which means they will be at Moria a lot slower and he might be exhausted because of the lack of magic by the time they arrive. At first, he entertained himself with the memory of the kill, staying perfectly silent before going for the items he had in his pockets. First came the badge with which he still fumbled a little, then the gun and as last the lighters, lighting them, watching the flame before getting bored even of that. It had been hours now... and they are still on the way.

"Are we there yet?" He asked suddenly in the silence that was between them, getting impatient at their long trip, accidentally kicking a rock and stopped, tilting his head to the side and looked down at it. Hissing in interest, he went and kicked it again, finding this simple action and the helpless roll of the rock at least somewhat distracting.

Hyano debated on mouthing him off but decided better of it.

"No. We at least have another hour. Trust me... you will likely hear it before we see it." She told him, knowing full well that Moria was not going to be empty of people. It was an attraction now. People came here from all around, likely also because there was food and drink there and a gambling place located in one of the larger caves. One could say it had become something of a Hollywood Casino if one didn't include the fact there was a museum as well.

The Nazgul hissed in frustration but shrugged, directing his attention to the rock for now, kicking it again and again. His metallic boot made small clanking noises with each kick and simply continued doing so, finding it a better entertainment than just walking bored all the while. This might maybe slow his progress but it was a distraction for his mind, so continued to do so.

* * *

_-few hours later-_

Hyano wasn't wrong.

The sound of cars, music, and games could be heard from far away. Next came the lights which first reflected from the clouds, then finally its source came into view. This place was indeed not the one that the wraith might remember. If the dwarves saw it now they would attack it and destroy it. The humans as it seems did not manage to find or use the true entrance of the mines, so instead the side of the mountain was blown open or dug through to get inside. The forests and rivers around the mountains were long gone, there was just asphalt and concrete for the cars and parking spaces.

This was not Moria... This was a mockery towards the once great race.

Hyano stopped as they came closer seeing the spectacle that was once Moria and hid behind some bushes and rocks.

"... are you sure you want to go?" She asked, looking over at her friend. Part of her was worried he would get mad seeing all these people at the place he once made his home. She was surprisingly ready for this, though.

Once they came closer Ren also heard all the noise and saw the bright light coming from a familiar direction. It made him lose interest in the rock, instead concentrated on all this, tilting his head to the side in interest, not sure what he is actually hearing. After a while, when they stopped, the Nazgul also hid behind some rocks like his mate and watched the... horrifying sight that greeted him. He couldn't even say anything at first. Swarms of humans... and their filth... Cars, lights... blaring disgusting noise they call music... What happened to the once majestic place? He did suspect -as she explained to him- that the mines were changed due to a museum being built there... but that it was changed this drastically... It made him sick... despite being a spectral being. It made him feel so... strange... so... disappointed, so... he didn't know. He never felt this before. Maybe it was seething anger? Who knows? One is for sure... he was rendered speechless. Hissing once, he drew a little closer, wanting to get a better look which was only followed by a much sharper hiss of displeasure.

"How dare the mortals litter this place with their disgusting filth..." He whispered, his hands gripping the rock he was hiding behind tightly. "They don't deserve to see the whole place... But I want to see what they discovered." He added, turning his hooded head, staring at her with his invisible eyes. He wanted to go in and see the damage done.

The orange wizard sighed, then nodded.

"Fine...If you are sure about this... but I'm telling you now... You aren't going to like this." She said honestly before turning and leaning back against the rocks. Time to put some serious thought into this. How was she supposed to get his stubborn as a mule wraith into Moria? The entrance was full with people and was lit so well that nobody can sneak inside. The guards outside the exhibit and at the doors already know about them for sure, seeing the cops are looking for them. Not only would they spot her but if the Nazgul goes in his current cloak... they would stop them for sure before they could take a step inside. She thought for a moment, then a memory flashed in her mind. It was brief, barely a second but it was enough to tell what it was about... The old door. The door the humans used currently was manmade since any other way in had long ago been blocked off by some kind of spell. While magic was almost dead now, back when they started this it was still alive enough to keep them out from those entrances. Maybe it would be worth it to try the old forgotten. "Come on. We need to go around." She told him as she started walking.

Ren just watched the humans from his position, more and more anger starting to develop in his usually strange and immature mind, however his train of thoughts was broken when Hyano spoke, telling him to follow her. He glanced once more at the sight he saw before nodding and slowly following his mate. Now that the whole landscape was changed by mortal hands, he wasn't exactly sure where they are in Moria, so relied on her for now, stepping as carefully as he could to not slip on a rock or smooth pebbles and to try and stay as silent as he could. He muttered to himself in Black Speech all the while, more than likely cursing the humans for their foolishness, all the changes they made and the filth they left behind. He looked up, raising his hooded head to see the mountains, the destruction but soon the sight of something... more familiar came into his view. So, he fell silent. The area around here seemed more familiar, so knew where they were going. Soon enough... what he expected showed up in his field of vision.

The door.

It was intact!

Hyano looked around. This area was slightly dirty with cans and cigarettes and if one was to look closely... the remains of drug use. Likely the results of rebellious teens that were attracted to this area for the natural dark aura it held. Hyano turned her eyes back to the door.

"This door will likely only open once. We will have to find another way out once we get in." She said while she turned her eyes to the wraith.

"Why?" Was the expected question of the wraith as he watched the door, then looked at her, tilting his hooded head to the side, watching her with his invisible gaze. What does she mean it can be only used once? It is just a door... Alright, maybe it is tainted with magic but still... Doors can be used as many times one wants, right? Until they break. So why can't this be used? The Nazgul asked in his mind and stepped forward, looking down, noting the litter on the ground. He bent down and retrieved an empty pack which contained cigarettes in the past and looked at it before losing interest and going over to an empty beer can, kicking it, listening to the sound it made. Then his gaze was attracted what looked like a strange thin pointy thing among some bushes.

"The door itself is the product of magic. I can tell by looking at it that it has very little magic left in it now. When it shuts again it will likely lock sealing itself before the magic will be gone from it. When it does that... it will be as good as the wall it is built into." The woman explained to the wraith with her hands in her pockets. Unlike most doors this one was not built on a hinge or separate from the wall but was part of the wall. Magic allowed it to open and lack of magic would be what seals it forever.

The wraith stepped closer again, now concentrating on the door more, turning from the items on the ground. He hissed slightly and extended a hand to touch the magical door. Of course the door of Moria was sealed, keeping out people who shouldn't be there. He himself was unable to enter many times in the past before he met Hyano, when the wraiths were assigned to lurk around here during the war. They couldn't go in due to the security password required to it... But of course... right now it shouldn't be a problem. His mate put a new magic on it personally, so should be able to open it on her own. So without a word, he stood next to her and looked at her, waiting for her to open it. One way or another they will get out. If he needed to kill all mortals at the exit they forged, then so be it.

The istar nodded, then looked at her hand. A mark that she created but long forgotten appeared again. She smiled before holding it up. The three headed dog that marked the door started to move a little creaking and cracking from its lack of movement. It turned its red eyes before letting out a howl. If the humans weren't so noisy they might have heard it. She watched as the door cracked open for them if only slowly.

"Remind me when we get to the new world to make that door again. He is a good dog. It would be a shame not to have him again." She said as she walked into the caves, reaching out to touch the foot of the dog with a smile. Thankfully, there was no one in this area though the echo of all the noise they made was very hard to miss.

Ren watched on as Hyano opened the door, waiting for the opportunity to go inside and hide from these filthy mortals. As soon as he was able, he slipped right inside the caves, stopping in his tracks right after. The noise... all the noise was still there... Echoing through the mines. Hissing in displeasure, Ren started moving, fleeing from all this that didn't belong here, trying to look for something familiar, for a corridor in the caverns which led him to his stash. First, he stopped to make sure his mate could follow, then started towards the main chambers of the mines. Hopefully those are still intact... If those are not touched along with the gorge, then it will be easy and fast and they can be on their way. Although, he did plan a nostalgic re-discovery. Perhaps a visit their old quarters... He wondered if that is also left alone. Walking forward, he tried to find a way into the main mine chambers.

Hyano walked quietly behind her friend, listening to the all sounds of the humans while also letting her eyes wander. It looked... strange. Everything looked old yet... new. Like someone was paid to make everything all new while keeping it looking all as old as dirt. Walls were painted and stone was added that was made to look cracked. She didn't like it. She liked the old look. Old. Dark. Dusty. For some reason it felt like home... this felt like someone came in and gutted it. There were electric torches that lit their way down the halls. Much of the once great underground city looks rather... fake. Pillars were added for support. Stones were added in place of ones that had been destroyed. In trying to reconstruct much of Moria the humans took some of the culture away. It made it feel foreign in a way. However, Hyano noticed even without these changes the place would probably feel foreign anyway. There were still gaps in her memory. She had thought that much had been restored but she was starting to see that she was still missing quite a bit.

"I don't remember any of this..." She said, thinking aloud.

The wraith however was way ahead of her, so he did not hear her. He was already near the mining area, trying to find a way in, overlooking the entrance from above. As it seems, it is guarded by a few people standing around, causing the Nazgul to pull back and wait... plotting. He needed to find a way inside... This is the main entrance actually, knowing there are smaller, separate tunnels but those are collapsed for one reason or another. Perhaps the result of the humans meddling with the place. He noticed the fake replacements and reconstructions as well, just like Hyano and found them disgusting, something to ignore. His goal wasn't after all to view the city. No. He wanted to get to his stash! Perhaps take the book about dark magic from Hyano's room if it is still intact and it wasn't yet discovered. From here it was hard to see if the mines were also built-in and 'completed' by the foolish mortals. He hissed in annoyance at the sight of the humans, blocking his entry, his armored hands gripping the stone he was leaning against.

Hyano caught up to him and looked down to see the guards as well. They were likely there to keep children out of that section since it was considered unstable. Though, Hyano didn't remember it at this moment she had used many spells to reinforce the ceilings in the gorge and around it to help keep things stable. Now that magic was a weak source, her spells were likely long since faded away. That made going in there a deathtrap if one wasn't careful.

"Looks like the only way past them is to take them out of the picture but that will only give us time until someone comes to check up on them." She said quietly.

Ren watched them, tapping the stone surface, mulling over what the wizard said. He knew they could take them out but... He most certainly didn't want people chasing him all over the place again once they find the bodies... Or... they can't find the bodies since they would be dropped into the gorge...

"How about a trick?" He asked suddenly, turning his hooded head back to look at his mate. "How about luring them away somewhere? You are a wizard... Then do your thing..." He suggested, wanting her to create a distraction so they could enter undisturbed. He wasn't in the mood to fight at all... He just wanted to go to his stash!

Hyano rolled her eyes. While she was technically a miracle worker she would rather not use magic she didn't have to spare. However, in this case she could make an exception. She looked around for a moment then got an idea. She closed her eyes then reached out and touched a shadow. For a moment it seemed like nothing was happening, then a shadow near the guards moved as if someone was nearby, trying to sneak in.

The guards blinked. They both saw the shadow but neither saw a body. However when it happened again going a different direction the two had to split to investigate.

"That should keep them busy for a little while." The istar nodded to herself, cracking her fingers. Job well done.

The moment she said this and he was sure the guards were far enough, the wraith simply jumped down, basically throwing himself to the ground. Well, he wasn't exactly planning to land on his stomach but he couldn't coordinate his fall and had not much of balance, so ended up landing on the stone floor with a loud smack. However, unlike a mortal, he didn't feel any pain from it, so like nothing happened he stood up, dusting himself off before hurrying off past the entrance, wanting to reach the gorge. From there... it should be easy to navigate...

Hyano facepalmed when he did this. _If he was mortal he would have been dead long ago_. This was all she could think before she sighed and climbed her way down, jumping about half way and actually landing on her feet. Unlike the wraith she actually did have a fair sense of balance. She ran after him and into the halls that were not as well taken care of. She noted the structure and something... familiar about it all... She tilted her head as she looked around.

"Ren... try to keep it quiet... This area is unstable. Too much sound will bring the walls down on us." She warned him, able to tell just by looking and how dust was sometimes flowing down from small cracks.

Ren however didn't pay her any heed, instead ran along the hallway as fast as he could, going towards the direction of the gorge and the main mining sites. He wasn't easy to lose though, since the metal boots clanged loudly against the stone ground and the mines were dead silent. The wraith did notice that this part of Moria was more natural... Actually, completely natural. There was no item that was brought in by those foolish mortals, neither did they change anything. Though, there were a few tunnels that collapsed, making him change directions many times, trying to find a way deeper. Eventually, the Nazgul skidded to a stop and stood straight, his hooded head turning back just a little to make sure Hyano followed him before directing his invisible gaze forward once more.

They arrived.

Before them lay the gorge with the main mining sites and many stone bridges.

Hyano let her eyes wander the gorge. This seemed more... familiar. She searched her memory and what came were sounds. The sound of orcs and trolls hammering away like mad but she couldn't place actual memories yet. She shook her head then looked at Ren.

"Please tell me you know your way around." She inquired, not wanting to get lost in this maze of tunnels and bridges.

Ren tilted his head to the side, turning to look at the wizard in confusion, at first not saying anything just staring.

"We spent a while here... We both know our way around..." He pointed out but didn't wait for her to answer. Instead he bolted, running along the gorge, his gaze fixed on the tunnel he used frequently when staying in Moria. He ran along it, before taking a few turns deeper into the mines, to the parts which were never used for mining but were abandoned for the longest of time. This was where his stash was located. He didn't look back to see if she followed. Now that they found the gorge, she surely knows her way around, or not? Not a few minutes later, the Nazgul skidded to a stop in front of a smaller tunnel and didn't waste time but bent down and walked along it. The narrow passage led to a medium sized room, which thank Morgoth wasn't yet discovered.

His stash...

One could find anything in there. Old weapons, old armor parts of orcs and dwarves... gems, gold, jewelry, strange glass items, mithril ores which actually were polished and glistened. Of course there were also a few things that Hyano made... like her staffs which he kept stealing and her flutes.

* * *

Hyano blinked then cursed under her breath as he took off. She could already guess this was not going to work out in her favor. She ended up being right. She quickly lost track of the wraith and ended up lost in the many caves of Moria. She tried her best to piece together the memories of this place but was finding it more and more of a headache by the second. She continued to walk until she noticed an area that seemed to be more created for Elves. This caught her attention. It was different than the rest of the caves so that was no real surprise. She walked into the halls which even now one could tell they had been very well made. She walked until she came to a door.

One she had gone in and out of many times.

It felt like she knew this place but couldn't put her finger on the memory. It was more frustrating than anything. She pushed the door open with a loud creak, some dust being kicked up in the process and looked inside to what had once been their old room.

* * *

By this time her wandering ended, the Nazgul stopped his sorting, having chosen what to take along. As he walked along the tunnels towards the gorge, he used his sense of scent and their magical connection to follow after her, noting the direction but not before sounding some shrieks at the large gorge, hearing as they echoed... As if his call was answered. It gave him a momentary boost of not being alone and woke up some memories that lay dormant within his mind before setting course after Hyano, easily finding her room as he remembered the way. He stopped at the entrance and looked inside.

The once organized room was now in ruins. The mirror long embedded under some rocks that fell from the ceiling, the bed also vanished mostly under some rubble... His corner was also gone... He hissed. Nothing was the same he thought they will be. He shifted his hooded head towards the form of the wizard before extending a hand and with it the staff he stole from her so many years ago and tapped the wizard's back with it, then held it out, offering her long lost item back silently.

The orange istar jumped and spun around, having been so engulfed in her own head that she hadn't even noticed him. She looked at him for a moment before smiling and taking the staff.

Ren, slightly reluctantly, but let her take the staff, finding it strange and almost unnatural of him giving something to her. He was already having second thoughts ... Maybe he should have kept that a little while longer...

"I haven't used one of these in centuries." The woman admitted before turning around again to look at the destroyed room. She spent so many hours in here yet why was she lacking memories of it. She moved over towards the long destroyed bed. Light flashes of her sitting there or jumping on it ran through her mind but in the end they just started to give her a headache. She groaned, putting a hand on her head.

Unknowingly to her for a split second a golden sphere appeared around her head. It was cracked in many places and one of the cracks grew before it disappeared again.

Seeing something from the corner or his eye, the wraith turned, trying to locate the sudden flash of light, however as soon as it came it was gone. Only spending a few seconds searching in vain, the Nazgul lost interest in it quickly and shrugged, stepping deeper into the room past Hyano. He kicked the edge of the mirror a little, noting how much stuck it was, before moving on to the shelf which was halfway dangling down. At first, the wraith thought the book his mate used to study from was lost to them now but he noticed with a satisfied hiss that it was just lying on the ground, although barely poking out from under the layers of dust. He bent down and picked it up, dusting it off before looking at it. The cover seemed to be very hard and dry now, as if it will break the moment he dropped it, so very carefully he opened it to the first page. Well, the writing is faint by now but still visible. Thank Morgoth it didn't fall down in an open position where age would have eaten the pages...

Once the wizard's head stopped feeling like someone stuck a grenade inside she looked over curious what the wraith was up to. She noticed the book he carried and walked over to him, her mind already working to remember what this book had been to her. She looked at the cover then at the page he opened to. A wind spell... She reached her hand out to touch the page and a memory flashed in her mind of her hands black as charcoal and the feeling of them being in pain yet not able to feel touch. She gasped and pulled her hand away.

Again, the sphere around her head appeared cracking yet again.

Ren looked up from the page when she gasped and pulled away like as if the book was on fire before once more seeing the flash of light from the corner of his eyes and turned towards her, looking her over as if he will find the answer to his inquiry just by looking at her. Seeing nothing, he thought that either his mind was playing tricks on him or the humans did discover this place already and put in some kind of light source which has gone bad and is flashing around instead. Like at the tower. One of the light sources in the living room broke and started flashing through the night which actually almost hypnotized the Nazgul, causing him to watch it almost the whole night. Well, he would have if he didn't snap out of it in the silence. Shrugging, he wiped at the cover a few more times before putting it away into one of the many pockets in his cloak. Looking up again, he moved around the ruined room before his invisible gaze stopped on something all too familiar... and annoying...

The Ringwraith walked up to the now broken bed and extended one of his metal-covered hands to touch the headboard which still clearly bore the maze they worked to solve for so long but never got to complete it. Memories coming back, forgetting what time it was and the state of the room, Ren simply sat on what remained of the bed cross-legged in front of the headboard and started working on it. Perhaps for the last time...

Hyano tilted her head, not sure what he was up to at first before she noticed the maze. She didn't remember it off handed... However it did give her a memory of both mild annoyance and amusement, likely because watching the wraith get frustrated every time he tried it had been hilarious. She watched him for a moment and without even realizing it she climbed up onto the bed and onto his lap, leaning back against his chest like she had so many times when he did this before. It was like a habit she didn't even know she had, looking ahead of every move he made to see if maybe he is going the wrong way or if he should take a turn later on. Her head started to hurt as she did this, the spell on her mind still fighting against her memories.

The wraith of course remembered this habit of hers, so knowing what she is doing he stopped his hand where he left off at the maze, letting her sit and get comfortable in his lap before continuing, choosing a path he thought will be the best, not remembering if he chose that one before. Just like in the past, Ren struggled with the maze and hissed in annoyance when the sixth path ended in a dead-end. The more he thought of it, the more he angered himself with this... In the end he half hissed and half shrieked before crossing his arms over his chest and eyed the maze angrily...

If looks could kill...

Hyano started laughing before reaching out and replacing where his hand had been with her own and started working the maze herself. It was a simple trade off, going back and forth. Normally she wouldn't even get frustrated. Ren would just want to try again so she would stop and let him have a go at it. At one point she seemed to be getting close before hitting a dead-end again.

"Damn... must have taken a wrong turn." She grumbled, then started back at the last branching of paths.

Not letting her go back on the path completely, Ren simply put his finger where she left off and went back a pace where there was another branch and continued where she left off, the path leading way back from the goal but perhaps this one is just doing a big detour before going closer again? Who knows...? The path actually led on long enough, turning back towards the end but... it also ended in a dead-end. Hissing, the wraith took his finger from the spot and crossed his arms again in frustration like a child, staring at the path in anger.

Hyano giggled lightly, then looked at the maze for a moment.

"Maybe we should start from the beginning again. We might have made a wrong turn from the beginning." She suggested. She didn't really remember much of the path they took from the start so she wasn't sure which paths were right and which were wrong. That would mean a lot of time would be wasted but considering they were in no real rush at the moment, that was no big deal.

The Nazgul hissed and shook his head, turning his head away as if pouting, not in the mood to restart the whole thing... He refused to work with her, staying in his position before he noticed from afar that she was going for a dead-end if she continued at that path, so he hissed sharply and took over, putting his finger at the previous branch and continued from that part, following this line. It took a while but eventually he could see he was heading for a dead-end again... Losing interest, he left the path to her at a new branch, letting her continue if she wanted, getting angry that this part of what he made didn't come out the way he wanted.

From there on they did it like that, following the path together. Where the wizard would run into a dead-end, the wraith would pick up from a previous path crossing until anger would get the better of him where she took over. The longer the path lasted, the less Ren gave up as well and was more and more eager to continue. This looked promising... But still... back then many paths looked promising and they all ended in dead-ends...

Hyano was actually having a good time. When she continued, her head would hurt from time to time as memories of doing this in the past began to surface. Every now and again there would be an intense pain with a minor flash of the sphere around her head. She would stop for a moment before getting back to work. They were close. They had to be. There was no way they could stop now. She noticed that Ren was coming to a branching and she looked ahead in both directions and saw right away that one went to a dead end.

"Left." She told him, pointing in the direction just to make sure.

The Nazgul only stopped for a moment, looking down at her as if asking 'are you sure?' before shrugging and going left, letting his clawed finger slide along the wooden surface of the headboard.

It went on like this for a while, continuing each other's path where the one gave up or the other thought they found a better path than the one their partner was following. After a while, seeing the path changed directions all too quickly and the path crossings became all too scarce, they both followed this same line, both of their fingers on it at the same place and started going downwards... lower...lower...lower until... The path was gone... and their fingers were only touching the wooden surface of the headboard under the maze.

Hyano blinked. For a moment she was ready to move the bed in search of more of the maze, not yet realizing the truth, however when it finally hit her she smiled.

"That's the end." She said, then jumped up and squealed before looking at Ren. "We finally bloody figured this stupid thing out!" She yelled out in victory.

Ren stared at the place where they stopped; not really realizing what just happened either. Well, not until Hyano jumped up, which caused the wraith to bounce on the bed, hissing in scolding, having been surprised by the sudden motion but after she said the words he looked back at the maze. Yes indeed. They finally solved it. That annoying maze is done, his anger finally won't bother him anymore because of this... After a good five thousand years and some they finally solved this thing. He leaned back, supporting his weight on his arms as he went, staring at their handiwork from afar, letting his mate celebrate as much as she wanted. While she felt joy, the Nazgul simply couldn't feel it only did he have a feeling of achievement and satisfaction, which then was slowly but surely replaced by something akin to emptiness. He didn't know this feeling... Now that they solved this... what is he supposed to do with this? From here he was able to see a few scratch marks of his gauntlet as he slid his finger along the wooden board, showing them a part of the paths.

Hyano was pleased with their work and sat down beside the wraith with a huge smile on her face. That is until she was able to get a good look at the path they used. She looked at it closely and started to notice a pattern, thanks to the visible fresh scratches.

"Oh... you have got to be kidding me..." She said, then reached out and touched her finger to the end of the path, whispering a spell and a shot of light backtracked their path all the way to the beginning. Once it reached the beginning, one could see that the path itself created a sentence in dwarfish.

Ren hummed, tilting his head to the side as she moved, using her magic again for something on the headboard. He shook his head at first and noticed her magic followed the path they chose exactly with her mostly noting the scratches he made which made her work slightly easier. But even when she finished he couldn't quiet grasp what she wanted to show him. Hmm... Wait... Are those letters? If he could, the Nazgul would have frowned at the display and shifted a little back to see the whole thing more clearly. But that didn't help him, mainly because he didn't know dwarfish... It all puzzled him and confused him to an extent where he started becoming frustrated.

Hyano finished her work, then just sat there for a moment staring at it.

"... It basically says 'It took you this long Elf?'" She answered his unasked questioned before getting up. "I hate dwarves." She said as she started to walk away. Dwarves could be some of the most spiteful creatures in the world. No wonder most other species wanted to pound them back into the ground whenever they met.

Ren stared at the writing for a long time, hard and closely. So... the whole path they had to find was this writing? All along? A mocking writing? Not even a hint to a secret or a wise word... It had to be smug dwarven writing... Of all things it could have been... And they have been working on this for such a long time... He had been having rage attacks here and such frustration which he never had anywhere... And all that the maze could have contained... it had to be this taunting, mocking sentence... He hissed in frustration, his whole body shook with rage which has plagued him for five thousand years and all the suffering he went through with this maze.

All the wizard could hear was his furious hiss and soon the noise of metal meeting wood, scratching and wood breaking. The Nazgul vented and basically ripped the whole thing apart, letting his metallic claws rip and break at the headboard.

Hyano heard the crash and destruction and waited for a moment before turning around to see what the wraith had done. She blinked, then smiled a little.

"Feeling better?" She asked jokingly. She had to admit seeing that annoying maze destroyed was rather satisfying, though, a part of her would miss it. There were many memories that came with that maze. While most were a little foggy, she did remember relaxing and falling asleep in the wraith's lap several times while working on that stupid thing.

"No..." Was the very short and to the point answer from Ren as he stood and walked past her, still grumbling in Black Speech, more than likely cursing the living Void out of the -now destroyed- object. Well, the destruction of the headboard did help him vent his frustration out; he was still not all as satisfied... If he knew magic, he would re-assemble that thing completely, then destroy it again... and again... and again. Hissing, he proceeded out of the room, seeing he found nothing of interest there and didn't want the wooden parts of the cursed maze stare at him from the corner... The Nazgul moved to the main mining section with the gorge and relished in its relieving darkness. It was so silent... Maybe too silent...

Hyano shook her head and followed him with her hands going to her pockets. Even to the wizard things felt quiet. She could not remember all the noise but she could believe that this had once been a rather noisy bunch of halls.

"... It feels so... empty." She said to herself mostly, her eyes wandering for a moment. She looked around until a glint caught her eye. She moved towards it and she instantly groaned when she noticed it was down on a cliff a little ways into the gorge. "Bloody hell..." She grumbled. But at least she could identify the item. A metal hammer from the looks of it. But how did it get there?

Ren hissed at her words. Of course it felt empty. It IS empty. No harsh noise of pickaxes crashing against the stone wall or metal, no groans of orcs and trolls echo within the walls of the mines, neither can one hear the hammering of the blacksmiths as they worked on the armors and weapons. Briefly the wraith wondered where the orcs went. Did they die? Did they become stone, like him? Or did they kill each other or themselves after finding no more food? Or maybe they left Moria? Who knows.

"It is empty indeed but so many things happened at this place. Mining, smithing, beatings, murders... rebellions..." The Nazgul hissed, feeling his mind recall these memories and walked along the gorge towards a larger empty area where most of the meetings took place. The shouts of the orc and goblin generals still echoed through his mind, the roars, the stomping... The smell of orc blood as they got into fights... They never behaved even when he made a speech to them... Well... maybe once they did... When he announced something important... The wraith hummed and walked up to the empty area, where he usually stood when speaking to them... There were of course many memories and tried to relive them for the last time because as things look, he will not be returning. Despite what people claim about wraiths, memories played a large part in their lives. Many of what they did and how they went about their tasks had been the work of past happenings. Memory was their training, their many hunts, the words of their Lord. And for Ren, these memories were sacred even for his cursed mind. Because the whispers of the Dark Lord, his King, and his brothers only lived within them. He was a creature of the past... and sometimes he wished to go back where things were the way they were supposed to be. Thousands of memories flooded his senses. The one when he and his brethren patrolled the area for the Ringbearer. When he set foot in the mines and fought the berserk troll to prove his leadership over the orcs within the mountains. When he fought many of them to secure his place. When he was faced with a rebellion and his mere aura stopped it. That was a time when his dominance among them grew tenfold. The memory of the preparations... the battle. The issue that came when he announced Hyano as his mate... He tilted his head to the side when he got to it and suddenly started rummaging through his cloak, attempting to find something... Until he found that one little thing he almost completely forgot about. A ring with a chipmunk symbol on it, given to him by Hyano when they became mates... Despite its age, it looked still intact, seeing it was safely stored in one of his pockets. The writing was also clear on it...

_'Darkened light in the shadowed day._'

Hyano turned back to the wraith and raised a brow as he started rummaging before watching as he pulled something out. She tilted her head and walked up to him, her naturally curious nature getting the better of her. She looked at his hand. A ring? She never saw that one before, although he showed her most of his collection.

"Can I see?" She asked him, wanting to get a better look at it.

The Nazgul tilted his head to the side, raising his gaze to look at her. Now if he could frown, he would have done it. The confused wraith shrugged, then held out the ring towards her. She made it of course, she can also see it if she wished. But the ring is his! Not hers! She gave it to him, so now it is his property!

"You gave it to me when I announced to the orcs that we are mates." He tried reminding her but of course he was sure she knew. She was just trying to look innocent in his eyes for her past crimes. Of course she remembered... she just didn't want to show it... He didn't forget her treachery and will make sure to remind her of that in the future.

The wizard took the ring carefully and examined it for a moment, then noticed the engraving. She mouthed the words to herself for a moment, then groaned as her head started to hurt again, however she didn't take her eyes off of the ring in her hand. Her other hand held her head, the sphere again appearing only this time it didn't disappear.

That flash of light again... Ren swore if he foun-... what? The Nazgul stared at his mate, tilting his head to the side as he watched some kind of light shine around her head. He couldn't quite grasp what it was but thought it was something she probably did or cast on herself... He was about to say something and pointed towards her head but stopped when she groaned, expressing pain. The wraith withdrew and watched her, the light becoming irritating as it grew in intensity, making his hiss in displeasure and stepped back, feeling some prickling at his spectral form. Only one thing causes such a feeling... Light magic...

Hyano was starting to remember things in almost a blur. She gritted her teeth, trying to make some sense of it all. That is until everything stopped on one memory.

This ring.

She put so much work into this one ring. Etching this engraving into it... for a good reason too. Why?

"Darkened light in the shadowed day." Hyano forced out through clinched teeth and in one full hit she remembered why and the sphere burst. She gasped and fell to her knees, panting heavily.

"Is thi-...!" The Nazgul was about to say something again but stopped as the light exploded, making the wraith shriek and throw himself to the ground to try and get away from the burden of it. Once the light was gone and the prickling feeling right with it, Ren sat up, hissing and raised a hand to his hooded head, having been blinded by the harsh light. His sight didn't yet return but soon it will... Just needed a little time...

Aaah yes... Ren was now able to see something... His sight was coming back slowly but surely. He rubbed his head slightly with an armored hand, shaking it a little, attempting to get rid of the blur which blocked his sight. He heard Hyano pant and knew it must have perhaps hurt her as well... Or it took her a great deal to defend herself... Or she was the one casting... No... She didn't cast it. He would have felt it. Her casting is unique and because they are magically connected he would have sensed it.

Hyano panted and gripped the ground and the ring in her hand tightly. She quickly tried to stand up just to fall back on her butt from a sudden head rush.

They were all back.

Everything.

Every memory that had been taken away. The orange wizard now remembered that very storm that carried the wraith to her forest. She remembered leading him to her shack... There was the cauldron and him not liking the fairy jam. Then the humans... the fire... Gandalf letting her keep Ren... Then they fled, landing in Moria. She remembered Tuhul, the goblins, her wargs, the battle... And then... the memory of the Nazgul being taken away in chains flooded her mind as the very last image. She shook her head, then smirked at the wraith, the shine now returning to her green eyes.

"What took you so long to get this to me?" She asked before jumping up and running towards him to tackle him.

Ren managed to shake off the blurred vision and was able to see better again and looked up when he heard a noise coming his way.

Bam!

The Ringwraith hissed as suddenly his sight was darkened again but this time not by light but by his mate's form as she crashed into him, making both of them fall back to the ground. He hit the stone floor of the mines with a thud with his back and stayed motionless, staring at her as if scolding her wordlessly.

"What was that?" He asked, unsure what he witnessed.

The istar grinned down at him, then held the ring out in his line of sight.

"I'm happy to finally be back. Took you long enough." She said with a light giggle as she sat on his lap. "I told Gandalf you would eventually get me back." She added, feeling proud of her mate. It took him forever to do it but finally she was free of the trap that was her own head.

"Get you back?" The wraith now was as confused as ever and stared at Hyano, now sitting up after slipping once backwards, shaking his head and tilted it to the side sharply, unsure what to think of all this. "That wizard? Was this his work then?" He asked, trying to make sense of all this. Because even a dark being without emotions and visible body can be completely messed up in mind after such unexpected events. He did recognize the light magic... The source being a creature he hadn't met for a long time... This wizard indeed whose name she uttered... But he still didn't know what to make of this.

"Of course. Who else?" Hyano replied simply. "What did you think was going to happen when I got caught? I was handcuffed with cuffs that kept me from using my magic and Gandalf used a spell to block all memories having to do with you. I assumed there was a chance things would go south and if Gandalf didn't allow the elves to kill me then he might pull something like this." She explained, then smiled. "You told me that the bond between mates was strong so I thought if anyone could break me out of it would probably be you." She added.

If she had said it back then... Wait... She said this same thing back then before all this and of course he didn't believe her. Even now he would doubt her words. Light magic has a signature and he surely would have been able to sense it through their bond if something was wrong with her. But she held no such ill effects. On the other hand dark magic blends well with dark magic, so surely the same can be said about light magic as well. Maybe he didn't sense it because she is a creature of light as well. Or was. He still had trouble believing it, his mind refusing to, only seeing the angering experience of the past weeks. But then again... he can distrust her words all he wanted, as her words are no proof anymore but... the strong light magic cannot be ignored, which ripped at his body and blinded him for a little while and he felt the signature of that sneaky wizard. He saw the light around her head and felt the magic... Had he truly almost killed an ally because of this? Of course he wasn't saying this because of the shock of the truth and him feeling sorry for anything but simply because it would have been a pity... An ally short... which means all allies short. She is the only one who stands on his side. This made him ponder for a few moments how they will survive in the new land with everyone being on the light side... But no... this can't be... There surely are plenty creatures which have an undeveloped mind and can be swayed... But who knows...

"I didn't even know what I was doing..." He admitted, shrugging, having not known that this magical thing can be broken in any way or even what he did to break it... He didn't even know there was magic involved...

Hyano rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish smile.

"I debated on pointing this out before we went into battle but I didn't think you would believe me anyway so I doubt it would have changed anything." She replied, then held out the ring. "I kind of just hoped you would have this on you. I put a lot of work into it but I also added that little spell on it. It's nothing special, just a dark light spell but... I assumed it would make a perfect breaker for whatever light spell Gandalf might have put on me. Besides, it looked good so I thought it was a win-win." She added with a proud smile.

The Nazgul tilted his hooded head to the side. So, the sneaky wizard also thought ahead? So she did prepare for this possibility? Kind of hard to believe... She was always too naïve for that.

"How do you know I wouldn't have believed you?" He hissed, looking down at her and crossed his arms over his chest like a pouting child. "You could have at least told me, so I don't end up almost killing you back there." He pointed out, reminding her that he almost killed her in her sleep because of their argument and his distrust towards her explanation. "You are impossible... You are endangering yourself..." Ren said, about to blame her for everything. Well, he was clearly angry that he was held in the dark about this... Why didn't she say anything? Even if he didn't believe it, he could have known it then... And once it happened, just for the Void of it he would have tried showing her the ring. Not sneaky... she was a foolish wizard.

Hyano smiled a bit. He was still such an overgrown child.

"We were both so eager to get out and get started. I didn't want to be the one to bring you down. Besides, if everything had gone smoothly you would have called me a dumb mortal for worrying so much." She explained herself with a shrug, then grinned and hugged him around what would be his neck if he had one. "Nice to know you care nonetheless, though, Ren." She added, feeling happy that he was basically mad at her for not being more careful. To her it was sweet. At least for a wraith anyway.

The Nazgul hissed in irritation and slumped his shoulders as her arms wrapped around his neck, submitting and letting her do as she wished for now, knowing from the past that fighting it is futile... However as soon as he heard the word 'care' he huffed and stepped back, crossing his arms as if protecting himself from her hug.

"I don't care. I never cared. You simply are a valuable ally, that is all." He pointed out, trying to save what remained of his dark image around her. In his mind, he has gone all too soft, has lost much dignity and much of the image of a Nazgul. Not that it did anything bad with their relationship, since it even helped maintaining this strong bond... but he wanted to remind her every now and then that he is a wraith, someone who has the right to hurt or kill her if she went against him. "Let us move... I have no desire to stay any longer... The mortals did an adequate job in destroying this place..."

Hyano snickered and got off of his lap, obviously not fazed by his words. She had heard such things before and had little problem with them. When he talked about leaving and what the humans had done to this place she was forced to look around again.

Despite all the numerous happy thought she had... now a new problem arose within her mind.

How will they get out of here?

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**Oh no... Find out what happens next in two weeks.**

_CA Productions_


	16. Grow Up!

**We are coming close to the end here! We hope you enjoy the new chapter.**

_CA Productions_

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Disclaimer: See first chapter.

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Chapter 16 - Grow Up!

"How are we supposed to get out without being noticed?" Hyano asked as she walked around the large hall, her steps echoing loudly in the silence around them. Her green eyes wandered the rubble and dirt until they found the form of the wraith, facing him with the issue at hand. "Our normal way is closed for good and the main entrance is covered by people. Unless you plan on changing your clothes rule... I think we are probably stuck here until closing time and who knows when that will be." She told him, basically suggesting he swaps his cloak for good until they are safe. Well, he did change once but this didn't mean he will repeat it. He was all too disgusted by what he had to do. Again, she was looking to the wraith for answers. While she had developed her own mind over the years she still had some bad habits thanks to his influence on her from the many years they spent together.

Ren held his strict posture but only for a moment before moving, his gaze turning towards the very faint noise coming from further out of the mines where the humans already nestled into the place. Not even the orcs make such a noise! Her inquiry made the wraith look back at her before facing the direction of the noise once more, one of his metal-covered fingers tapped his arm in deep thought. Indeed, the gate is closed now as it seems... They cannot open it again... And while he wandered deeper into the mines -many years ago- he could not find another entrance... All this side of the gorge was carefully searched by him... If there was another way out... then he would know that. But... what about the other side of the gorge? Is there even a bridge intact to explore it? One thing was certain...

"I will NOT change my clothing anymore." He reminded her, not wanting to argue about this point any longer. It was a 'once in a lifetime' occasion and they shall keep it at that. If needed, he will storm out the way he was... "We could search the other side of the gorge... If we can't find anything... then we will get out when the museum is closed..." At least he hoped there is such time as a schedule for this mess...

The wizard giggled lightly, having expected that would be the answer she would receive. When he suggested going across the gorge she was reminded of the hammer she saw. She thought for a moment, then smirked.

"We might not have been the only ones to get that idea. I saw an orc's hammer down in the gorge. Someone might have dropped it while working their way across. With any luck they might have found a way out." She suggested, assuming at this point they had little to lose in trying.

"I didn't see an intact bridge... Maybe it broke down when they crossed..." The wraith said, walking forward, taking the lead to go to the gorge and see it better. He wasn't really paying any attention to it but he could swear there was no intact bridge... Maybe the last of the orcs simply fell to their deaths when it crumbled. He looked back briefly halfway to see if she is following him before arriving at said location, standing close to it, his hooded head moving to try and locate a working bridge... Maybe they will have luck... Well, not here in this part... They were all broken... But maybe further in... "This way." He quickly said and moved on, leading her towards another section of the gorge which he didn't yet see today.

Hyano followed him with her hands in her pockets as she inspected the gorge. Not that much had changed in it.

"The orcs mustn't have done much mining work since we left. They probably didn't see much need to since they didn't have a leader." She said more to herself as an observation. She was trying to piece together what all happened here after they left. Did the goblins and orcs continue to get along? Or did the orcs eat the goblins and the trolls eat the orcs? Such an event would make sense if they got desperate.

"The orcs need no leader when they learned what to do and what is the best for them." Ren spoke up as he stood at the edge of the gorge, overlooking the other side before turning his hooded head to watch her, then glanced towards the walls which were clearly still rich in metal. But it wasn't mithril anymore... The magic was gone from it... Now he couldn't tell what it was... He also noted the lack of mining gear, which means someone must have cleaned up... or dumped it into the gorge... He wondered what happened but knew that pondering about the past which they did not know was a waste of time and it won't get them any forward. "There is no bridge..." The wraith quickly added, nodding towards the gorge.

Now came the question...

What to do?

Hyano nodded, then looked across the gorge.

"Looks like we should make our own way." She said, then looked at Ren. "Don't go too far. I'm about to get drained." She warned him about her possible energy levels in a few moments, then put her hands together before whispering a spell and waving her hands over the gorge. The spell took more time than she would have liked and the result was not as good as she would have liked but an ice bridge is an ice bridge and it would hopefully do the job.

Ren tilted his hooded head to the side at her comment and put his hands behind his back, watching her curiously. Her magic was familiar and felt as she used it, the water from below and around them answered her command and flowed over to where she stood, slowly but surely freezing to ice. He didn't exactly know what to think... He walked up next to her slowly and put a foot onto the very beginning of the bridge, hearing it crack. He hissed and drew his foot back like it was on fire and stepped back a few times, shaking his head furiously. He won't end up on the bottom of the gorge! It would take too long if even it was possible to climb back up. Being trapped would mean the end of his journey and he wasn't about to give up. He better just wait until the museum closes...

Hyano watched him and giggled as he basically jumped away from her bridge.

"Aw, come on... it isn't that bad." She teased, though, she made no real move to try it herself. She would gladly add to the bridge if she had the energy but she just couldn't. Not with the amount of magic she had on reserve. She had a little more than enough to keep her walking. She knew better than to push that limit. "If we aren't going to cross, what should we do until this place closes? That probably won't be for a half a day." she said calmly, although the chance of getting out through the front doors would be just as slim as going over the bridge. Surely the place is lit up still and guarded heavily at night too. At least she expected it to be.

The wraith hummed, raising an armored hand to scratch his hooded head, thinking. This was a move he picked up from her not long ago.

"Meditate?" He asked, shrugging, turning towards Hyano. "We might have to wait anyway... I am not sure if there is an exit on the other side..." This wasn't exactly true. He suspected there was... Mainly because such a large place surely had a tunnel that led out in case of emergency... Or it simply had another entrance on the other side for workers... Sighing and slumping his shoulders, the Nazgul looked at the highly unstable and thin bridge before stepping towards it again. What pushed him was that fact that he didn't need any more meditation... and he would grow bored anyway... So why not risk falling down into the gorge, then spend months trying to figure out how to get out? He lifted one foot and set it onto the ice, hearing it crack, then slowly but surely put more weight on it. The ice cracked mercilessly but did not give way... Yet.

Hyano watched him for a moment. So he did want to try it seemed. He was just a little wary. Smart way of thinking if nothing else, however Hyano thought the slower he went the more likely the ice would come out from under him.

"How about you let me go first?" She suggested. "I'm lighter and if the ice comes out from under me I can bring myself back eventually." She added, assuming Ren might be more comfortable with this idea than what he was currently doing.

Ren huffed but stubbornly continued, now standing on the bridge with both legs. The more weight he put on this thing... the more it cracked... He wasn't even heavy! Alright, maybe these many layers of cloaks, his boots and gauntlets and all the items he stuffed in his pockets he might weight more than normal...

"You might be lighter but if you fall you will die. If I fall... I just have to find a way back up." He replied and took a step carefully, hearing more cracks but kept going, although slowly. Well, he was an immortal wraith, right? He can't die in falling like... many thousand feet...

"Then I would move a little faster. The longer you stay in one place the more pressure you are leaving on that section of ice." The woman said, trying to make him move a little faster. Though, honestly she was surprised he was still standing. Ren was very well known for lacking in the balance department. He fell on wet tile. That said enough in itself, however he seemed to be doing well so far. That was an improvement.

The Nazgul turned his hooded head towards her and was about to shout back something like a smart remark, when he suddenly felt a huge crack under his feet and the ice beneath it suddenly sank slightly, which made the wraith disoriented and first became rooted to the spot. The time seemed to slow down for a moment, which let him contemplate what to do... Turning back was no option... he went this far then he will move on... In addition, she would humiliate him and there goes the tiny reputation he still had in her eyes... And he was facing the other side of the bridge... so there was only one option left...

He ran!

As the ice gave out loud cracks at each step, the Nazgul tried to get to the other side before he fell down. Many times in his fast sprint did he slip and almost fall but for the first time in his life he had luck... Until it drained... Just as he was about to make the last step his feet slipped from under him and he fell with a thud, faceplanting the stone ground as he made it to the other side.

Hyano heard the crack and felt fear that he was about to fall through. Ren might not get killed from a fall like that but it would likely sap a lot of energy from him and they wouldn't be side by side if he went all the way down so he wouldn't have a means of replenishing it. She breathed a sigh of relief as he made it across, then looked at the bridge before looking up again.

"Should I cross or just wait here while you check it out?" She questioned, not sure it would be worth it to risk her life in the same way Ren had. He had made a valid point. If she went down she would die. There were no second chances, even for an istar.

The wraith hissed in irritation as he lay there on the ground, for now motionless, not even wanting to move. After a while, when he heard her speak he finally pushed himself up, swaying a little on his feet and shook his head to get rid of the few tiny stones that made it into his hood with the fall. He tilted his hooded head to the side at her inquiry, humming, turning towards the inner side of this section and pondered.

"I think it is best I search it out myself. You stay." He quickly replied before running off, deciding to look around now. Of course he didn't go as quick and didn't think of doing it fast so she doesn't have to wait... Main thing was for him that he was not bored...

Hyano sighed, then sat down cross-legged with her arms crossed as well to wait. With Ren gone she could not regain any magic to try and reinforce the bridge so she was basically stuck there waiting until he returned for her... Or she found another way out. If Ren did take too long she could always try going out the front without him to worry about she might actually make it out. However, she wouldn't do such a thing unless she had to. She sighed, then started to think about something that bothered her for a while...

_What side am I on?_

She looked down into the gorge, pondering this, as if expecting the answer to this thought echoing from the depths of Moria. She knew her tasks, her duties and her nature. She was an istar, a being who created and guarded the light, all that the Valar stood for. But... With all her memories back she could also feel a loyalty to the wraith... However she also knew better. She was kind of on her own side at this point. He was her friend and she cannot just throw him away but she cannot let darkness engulf her heart either. Having grown up in body and mind helped her see the fear that Gandalf had. They all learned from the mistakes that Saruman made. Still... Would Ren truly stay by her side if she did not work for him? After all that they went through and they learned together... She sighed and pushed her face into her hands in frustration.

* * *

The other side of the gorge was just as big as the one they resided on, however without the underground city part.

The Nazgul explored this section for hours, which could be thanked to the fact that he got lost a few times, having gone in circles for a long time until he decided he will mark the way where he was already and risked his own energy to leave an aura trail behind for a while, so he can find his way back to the gorge without trouble. This side of Moria was full with tunnels, narrow passages and unstable smaller bridges, which did not crumble under him as he crossed them. He stopped sometimes here and there, inspecting a gold coin or two that was dropped on the ground, putting them into his pockets, then moved on, noting the carvings made by dwarves, writings he did not understand and all the statues that littered his way. He hissed and stopped in a crossing of many paths, thinking he should give up and return to her, seeing he was away for a long time and the museum surely closed by now.

However, he halted his move to turn and looked around, sniffing audibly, the sound of his inhale filling and echoing through the many tunnels. He could smell... Fresh air? It was coming from somewhere... Like a dog, he started trying to find the right trail, sniffing and trying to feel, pinpointing the right path. When he found it, he didn't feel the need to follow it, seeing it was enough indication that indeed there must be an exit, so turned quickly and ran off, wanting to find the right trail to the gorge, which took a while again but his bits of aura helped him in this.

Eventually, the dark form of the Nazgul showed up at the gorge, closing in on the ice bridge, the metal boots clanging loudly in the silence, echoing through the large cave.

* * *

Hyano had fallen asleep, curled up at the edge between the bridge and the edge of the gorge. After spending so much time thinking she didn't realize how tired she was until she had fallen over asleep. It was little surprise. After all the walking they did, then sneaking around, the mental stress she was put through and to top it all off she was low on magic. She needed a good nap. The moment Ren came into range again she sensed it and stretched before sitting up with a groan, grumbling under her breath.

"Nap time is over?" She mumbled cutely.

The wraith stopped at the other side of the gorge, right at the edge, almost successfully slipping right in if it wasn't for the sharp edges of his boots because of his haste. He looked down at the almost endless drop before stepping back... just to be sure. He didn't even answer her question, as it was obvious he didn't come back to join her sleeping.

"I found an exit!" He shouted, pointing back towards one of the tunnels where he came out of, looking back at it again to make sure he was showing her the right direction. "... I think..." He couldn't help but add this... After all he smelt fresh air... This doesn't mean that the exit is in a reachable distance...

Hyano looked at him, still half asleep. She yawned then stood up, cracking her neck.

"Alright. I'm coming." She said, then started walking away from the bridge a good distance. She was almost out of sight before she turned around and took off running right for the bridge. The moment her feet touched the slick surface she stopped running. She didn't have to. The smooth surface of the ice allowed her to move anyway. However that did not mean the ice did not give out because of her weight all the same. As she moved forward the ice broke out altogether. As she came to a halt on the other side the wizard had to grab onto Ren to help stop herself as there was no longer a bridge. "Hope you're right, Ren..." She said sheepishly.

The Nazgul tilted his head to the side and attempted to step back as she started sliding towards him but she arrived all too early, much sooner than he predicted. And as it was also predictable... Ren had such an amazing and outstanding balance, that the moment she crashed against him he lost his balance and fell down but not without trying to hold himself up by grabbing Hyano. This of course was no use as he fell onto his behind either way... but not without pulling the wizard down with him.

"A warning would have been satisfying..." He hissed, although he tried doing so silently, she surely heard the comment, then he proceeded muttering to himself much more silently now, probably cursing as he slowly stood and dusted off his robe. Without saying a word, as he knew he didn't need to, Ren started walking towards the tunnel where he came from, leading her through the passages towards the crossing where he noticed the fresh air. There, he found the right path quickly and led the way through these narrow passages until they came to the source of the much cleaner and cooler air.

Hyano giggled as he complained but said nothing knowing she didn't need to. She walked after him, seeing the different work. Also evidence that they weren't the only ones to come this way. Among all the works were also a few bones showing that something... or someone became lunch at some point. When she noticed his signatures on the walls and she raised a brow. No wonder he took so long. The cloaked shadow got lost. She couldn't help but giggle lightly before taking a breath of fresh air. She smiled, then continued on heading for the source.

When they reached it the istar was a little confused because it looked like they had reached a dead end. That is until she heard wind and looked up.

"... This is going to suck." She grumbled, seeing that they were under what could best be described as a mine shaft, used to keep the air fresh and also help those who might get trapped in the mines. It was basically a tunnel going straight up and out.

The Nazgul was looking forward to getting out of the mines and get going, wanting to be away from this ruined place and head to a new world where he can build his own little land. Surely there must be some unclaimed, dark and unlivable place where no one would look for them... However his little 'daydreaming' was cut rather short when he heard her speak and sensed her stop, looking up and paying attention to their location once more. The wraith looked around, first not noticing where the exit could be, as they were surrounded by more rocks as it seemed but following her gaze he also turned his hooded head upwards, noting the rather long shaft. He hissed, slumping his shoulders at the realization, not keen on receiving this information.

"You any good at climbing?" She asked, shifting her gaze down at the dark creature.

All Ren did was show her his sharp, ragged, metallic gauntlets which aided climbing rather well, then gestured to his metal boots which were equally adorned.

"Most certainly." He simply stated, not knowing how stable the stones and rocks are in the shaft, though. He used his gauntlets quite well normally for climbing...

Hyano grinned.

"Race you to the top!" She shouted, deciding the best way to make this more fun for the wraith was to make a competition out of it. The Nazgul was not going to just let her win, his pride wouldn't let him. Without even saying 'ready set go' the istar took off. It had been some time since she went climbing but it was easy as riding a bike to the wizard. It wasn't as easy as climbing a tree of course but it was still climbing all the same.

The Nazgul hissed as she just bolted, displeased by her self-given advantage and almost crossed his arms, pouting, not even wanting to race anymore, seeing she just gave herself an advantage without his permission but a thought kept nagging at him. He was a Ringwraith, a much greater entity than her -in his mind- and what kind of great entity is he if he lets her win like that? He could easily take this small advantage from her just by a little speed; he knew he can do it. It will be all too easy... Hissing a second time, the wraith soon started climbing himself, using his sharp and ragged gauntlets and boots in order to have a better grip, basically burying the tip of the metallic equipments into the stone walls, hauling himself up higher and higher, gaining on her fast. There were a few loose rocks here and there, which caused the not as balanced wraith to slip a few times with a surprised brief shriek but did everything in his power to get back into their little race.

Hyano would stop whenever the wraith would slip and shriek, wanting to be sure he was alright. She knew a fall like this wouldn't kill him but it very well would knock some energy out of him and if she got too far ahead of him he would not be able to replenish it too easily. She would have to drop down for that. It would be mildly annoying and time-consuming but even if she didn't like the wraith she would have to. Hyano looked up seeing the opening was coming up.

"You better hurry up, Ren or I'm gonna win." She teased as she reached for a rock above her head.

Her only answer from the wraith was a low hiss, answering her challenge and sped up, working with his metallic armor to try and take lead. He caught up with her quickly after this, now climbing head to head, concentrating on his movements, trying to not slip while he attempted to win the race but also was careful to not bump into her and make her fall. Now, she surely would get hurt if not die if she fell to the ground below. They are rather high up right now... And well, she is the only one who can take him to the new world, who can hide him, who makes sure he has enough energy... and also she is his mate. And they are supposed to work together. However, as soon as they reached a certain height, the Nazgul felt his energy slip from him a little, causing him to slow down and soon stop for a moment with a huff, before he forced himself to continue. The reason for this was the sunlight, which irritated him and weakened him, sapping some energy from him and blinding him more and more as they climbed. Now it was sure he won't win the race... Blasted sunlight...

Hyano felt the sun and actually got a boost from it and felt she would win. That is until she hit a loose patch of rock. At first she hadn't even noticed it but when she was right over it the whole patch came out from under her and before she knew what happened she was going down.

"Shit!" She cursed. So much for winning. She would be lucky if she didn't die at this point.

The scream caught the attention of the wraith, snapped him back to reality and made him go on alert. The sudden flash of movement in front of him caused him to instinctively reach out and grab the thing that fell, having heard her scream and slip. What he caught was one of her upper arms in an iron grip, the sharp claws of his gauntlets digging into her soft skin. However this movement alone cost the wraith his firm hold and soon the rock onto which he was holding gave out as well, causing him to slip as well. He hissed and shrieked, cursing loudly as he attempted to get a hold of the surrounding rocks with his gauntlet and boots, causing many rocks to fall as he struggled. But it wasn't easy to find one that would carry the weight of both of them and the force of their slip. Eventually, they came to a very sudden stop when his sharp gauntlet got stuck in a bigger and more firm rock, which caused her to almost slip from his grip but the Nazgul held tight, tightening his grip, now drawing blood from her arm as he attempted to keep his hold.

A mix of pain and relief was given to Hyano as she was caught. Not only did his metal gauntlets cause her to bleed but her arm nearly popped out of its socket just from being caught. She gritted her teeth and noticed they weren't going to get very far with him holding her. She felt herself lucky that there were no creatures that hunted by blood scent anymore because they would not get very far now. Unless one counted dogs but they weren't nearly as good as humans gave them credit for. She quickly got a grip on the rock with her free arm and feet before giving her arm a light tug.

"You can let go. I got it now." She told him, assuming this would be an easier option.

Ren contemplated if he should let her arm go or simply haul her up onto his back, knowing her safe there, having no risk of her falling to her death then. However, he was still a Nazgul with pride and he is no mount of anyone. She must be more careful or else in the new world she will lose her life rather quickly, he was sure of that. The need to win this race made her careless and this is something that is unacceptable in his mind.

"Be more careful. For mortals like you, safety is first, then the victory." He scolded her, not wanting to lose such a servant like her and the possible builder of his future army. He needed her alive, now that he thought about it and has remembered her past use. Dark magic, mud and a wizard can go a long way when it came to building an empire from scratch, he concluded. Though, his distrust never let go of his mind. he will need to give this more thought in the future. "Go in front of me. I will follow." He commanded and got a more firmer grip on the rocks himself before letting her arm go carefully, allowing her to climb past him and up, wanting to go after her and catch her if she fell again.

Hyano felt like a child again being scolded. When instructed to go ahead of Ren she nodded.

"Yes, sir." She said, then started climbing. It had been a long time since she said that one. _Yes sir._ As old as she was saying that. She shook her head a little and kept climbing until she finally got to the top and out. She panted a little and sat down with her legs crossed, taking a minute to look around. They were WAY high up. There was no road or path leading down, all they had was a rather steep wall, littered with rocks and some bushes. There was a forest at the foot of the mountain, though. Maybe they can hide there and go on their way unnoticed. "Alright... next problem... Getting down." She said more to herself than anything. If this didn't count as a workout, then she didn't know what did.

Ren was pleased by her obedience and followed her up, glad that there was no other fall while they reached the surface. He got out after her and stood, dusting off his cloak, noting how dirty it got just by this single fall. He hissed and looked around once she spoke, lifting his hooded head to note where they are. Indeed... Quite high up but at least invisible to the people below. He thought, maybe they can climb down the way they came up? Who knows...? Hissing again, he slumped his shoulders for the umpteenth time today and shook his hooded head at the situation, putting his hands on his hips, once more surveying their location before stopping and looking back at her suddenly, just now realizing how she called him...

"You never called me 'sir' before..."

Hyano raised a brow at the sudden question of her words, then smiled a bit.

"Does it bother you?" She asked him curiously. He probably was never called 'sir' before. "It just seemed appropriate considering you were scolding me like the child I was acting like." She added, rubbing the back of her head. She knew she had been an idiot for a second and deserved to be scolded. It still felt strange all the same, though.

"I was scolding you as your Lord. Not as... whatever you just said..." Ren trailed off, once more his knowledge about the word 'child', breeding among humans and the cycle of growing up, the concept of a family showing. He still could not grasp what it all meant and how it was even possible to be. He still considered small humans dwarves... because it just... he didn't know how it all worked and did not know what parent and child meant. "We should somehow find a way down..." He quickly changed the subject and started moving away towards one edge of the mountain. They were somewhere near the top, away from the noisy humans and looked around there. The side of the mountain here was rather... steep.

Hyano giggled at his lack of knowhow, then looked down. She thought her options over before looking up.

"If you give me a while to sunbathe I can use some magic to get us down. A simple wind spell should do the trick I think. We can just jump and I can stop our fall with some wind... but I need a minute to get my energy back up." She said, knowing he wouldn't like waiting much but it was better than any other option they were currently seeing at the moment.

"I can just slide down or fall down... Your magic is weak here... You should concentrate it on yourself." The Nazgul told her, his commanding self and leadership instincts showing more as they went. This situation along with Moria triggered a lot of wraith traits in his cursed mind and they are more and more visible. Crossing his arms over his chest, the creature decided to use his own abilities, mainly his immortality and immunity to pain and injuries. He can easily fall down all the way off of the mountain, crash into the ground with as much force as the gravity gave him and still survive. Of course he will need a nice few hours of meditation after. His energy might be rather low by then... "Get more energy. Tell me when you are ready." As soon as he said it he crossed his legs as well and landed on the ground with a thud, getting comfortable, he decided to use this little time to meditate and gather energy himself for the oncoming willing fall...

Hyano raised a brow, then shrugged at his request before laying back to rest a little while.

"Whatever you say." She said as she stretched out. After a little while she decided to speak, finding the silence as strange between them now. "So, am I still in trouble?" She asked him, curious if he still considered her a liar and so on. Also if he wanted to kill her. That was always good information to have. He had saved her life but they never really confirmed if she wasn't in trouble or not.

The wraith was already within his own mind, getting a good rest for his soul when she spoke up, making him snap out of his meditation and hiss, his shoulders rising and falling with the motion, annoyed at the interruption but what happened has happened, with him getting angry won't give him a better chance to meditate either... However, the question was rather inaccurate and caused Ren to tilt his hooded head to the side slightly, watching her from his position.

"Trouble?" He asked, unsure what she was talking about.

Hyano sat up with a sigh.

"I just meant... well... you wanted to kill me at one point because you thought I was lying and that I betrayed you... Do you still think that?" She clarified for him as she hugged her legs. She knew she hadn't lied but no matter what she told him or how she explained it he refused to believe her. It led to so many arguments and made her want to just kick him out into the sun.

Hmm... So she meant that. Well, it wasn't all that easy to say if she was still in trouble or not. Ren surely will grumble about it for a long time but not about her lying but about her silence about the ring having been the key to their normal lives again. He still wasn't sure what to believe but then again... the magic of the White Wizard was quite clear. He did something which had an impact on her, so it could be viewed as the truth... Still... Too many things happened and too many words were spoken to truly trust her anymore.

"You are in trouble for not telling me about the abilities of the ring..." He trailed off, deciding to leave out some small details for the sake of getting her to bring him along on her journey, then shifted slightly in his position, noticing he must have sat on something as it felt unusual and reached down to retrieve a smaller sized rock. No wonder he felt that way... "But the White Wizard's magic was there... So I might take that as an explanation..."

The orange wizard smiled a little at this answer, then leaned against him. "I'm glad. It made me sad knowing you didn't trust me. Even without all my memories it still hurt." She replied, happy that the wraith did not see her as a threat like he had. She understood he was still a little angry about the ring but it was just a backup. Just in case. She wasn't even sure if he would hold onto it. It wasn't anything compared to the ring he already had of course... Though, he was a massive hoarder so that was likely why.

Ren hissed, knowing his attempts of meditation is thrown out the window and simply settled for being quiet, listening to her as she spoke, trying to shut down at least a part of his mind to gather energy but there was always something in their conversation that attracted his attention and required him to speak. Even now he couldn't help but tilt his head to the side at her last sentence and looked at her, shifting slightly to make it more comfortable for himself.

"How can you be hurt in soul without magic? I did not hurt your body... How can a soul ache?" He asked curiously, not understanding the concept of mental pain or broken feelings, seeing he lacked emotions altogether, except hate, disgust, anger, satisfaction and contentment. Everything else is not known by him and sometimes he didn't understand her because of this. But at least he learned a few things about this at their time in Moria and at her shack. It was hard but was now able to distinguish more emotions when she shows them and act according to that.

"Creatures feel two ways. Mentally and physically. It depends on the person which way is more effective. Knowing that you thought I betrayed you and you didn't believe me caused a mental pain... It made me sad and angry. I was frustrated because no matter what I said or how I explained myself you refused to believe me. That is considered a type of hurt." The woman explained, trying to keep it in terms he understood best. Which was rather hard considering the subject itself, however she got used to that a long time ago.

"Hmm... The living is so strange and too difficult." The wraith commented as he usually did when things only mortals understand is explained to him. His lack of emotions made it hard for him to understand any such explanation but at least the way Hyano went about it was slightly more understandable than if he tried to find out himself. "You feel too much with emotions and too little with your physical body. Emotions can lie but what your body feels and what you see is speaking of truth. Emotions make weak and careless, they make you an easy target for those who use it against you. It is all too easy to play with it. This is what some of my brothers used to their advantage successfully many times over." Compared to how little he knew about emotions, he had some very good advice and knowledge on taking advantage of it. He himself used this with his mate when he became her only comfort when he trained her. It worked out well in the end for him and she became a loyal servant in the end. Her emotions stand in the way of breaking away from him and now that they are practically infused... it is too late. So now it was time to extinguish her need for these useless feelings in order to make her willing to do as he commanded from now on, learning from the past weeks.

"True. They can lie... Kind of how your anger blinded you from seeing I was telling you the truth. You do feel some range of emotions, just not the same way I do. I have noticed that from watching you over the years. You can also fake it alright sometimes. The things you enjoy are kind of strange. Like... you love and hate blood all at once, you like to chase things, you hoard things and if anyone messes with your stuff they better be ready to fight." Hyano said giggling at the last part. "However, emotions are also connected to instinct. If I hadn't had my emotions I likely wouldn't be here with you right now. So it works out for you."

"I am not using emotions, only what is granted for me. Otherwise it is all wraith instinct. Emotions and instincts are not to be mixed together, Hyano..." The Nazgul warned, crossing his arms over his chest, arguing her point, hissing. "Instinct cannot be manipulated... But emotions can. And you might have used them then, you will have to learn to be rid of most. You won't need them and they will only stand in your way and your survival. In the new world you will meet many past allies... But your bond to me shall be stronger and our connection shall not be severed, it should stand in the first place." He told her, looking down at her now. Of course they talked about this before and he trained her mind for a while to harden her against fear and pain... Against her hate to kill and to see death and torture... But seems like this might be something she forgot over the years and didn't keep herself in shape. Now his next aim was to make sure she cannot be swayed by her past allies. In his own way he just expressed protectiveness towards her and her loyalty, showing his concern of her leaving him over the other allies, listening to them instead of her own mate, leaving him alone to work on his own and to survive in the new world.

"I can still kill like I did before. I actually served in two wars in the time you were in stone, so killing is not as great of a problem as you think. I do admit I am not a fan of it, though. If it is not needed, then I don't see the reason for it. Also, I am for balance. Not just for you. The world is in need of a serious dose of balance and I do believe that will come from you." Hyano finally replied, thinking over her words. She was on his side for her own reasons now, not just because she was some child with loyalty issues. In a way she had matured because of this. Gandalf was not going to like it of course but that was another matter.

This was not what the wraith expected of course and suddenly felt the same uncertainty as he felt a few weeks ago. So, the absolute loyalty is not guaranteed? The time they spent together, the trouble they went through, being mates, and the training, the manipulation he made her go through don't mean anything to her, then? Did he make a mistake somewhere? Is she also on the side of the light? Not just him? Her own Lord? So in the end she won't help him achieving his long desired goal to take over the world? The world they are in now is already taken by the light and the mortals. He at least thought she will think the same way as him and this time give a chance to the dark side to own the next. So, in the end she would even fight him if he gets the upper hand and attempt to stop him? He hissed sharply at her previous words and leaned back slightly as if she suddenly smelled bad, feeling tense. The honor of being a mate to a Nazgul was then defiled if she thinks like this truly... If she is not on his side and doesn't follow his lead. Then he cannot trust her in the end... no matter if she gained back her memory and no matter how she was made to forget by the other wizard.

Hyano twitched at his reaction, already sure of what he was thinking. She got up and dusted herself off.

"If I wasn't on your side I wouldn't be here." She said bluntly, annoyed with him now. He held a standard that was unrealistic, expecting her to walk after him like a dog, act like what she was not. She wasn't an orc that lived in darkness and murdered for the fun of it. She was a wizard, created by light and with the purpose to protect and let live. It was agitating. "You would think after all we have done you would trust me more." She added as she looked off the side of the mountain. She was debating on how long she had until she had to use magic to break her fall. She was slightly agitated but for this she would need to concentrate.

The wraith, having had enough with the confusing thoughts she shared with him, simply hissed in anger, standing up as well, now knowing that the peaceful meditation cannot happen. No matter if she leaves him alone from now on. His mind was reeling and was tense, unable to relax for a good while.

"You said you are for balance, which includes the side of the light to exist and be at the same strength to create your so loved balance..." He pushed on, crossing his arms over his covered chest, staring at her, his dark aura strengthening with his thoughts. "Which means... if the light side was to be overthrown, you would switch sides to create that precious balance. There is no other way to understand your words." He huffed and turned around, not wishing to join her for now at the edge but kept walking to the hole they climbed up from, wanting a distraction.

Hyano rolled her eyes.

"Gandalf is a White Wizard. I will likely become the first Black. Exactly what else do I have to do to create balance?" She inquired, crossing her arms. "I don't plan on going on the light side even when darkness becomes too much. At that point I will just stop becoming a strong role. I won't have to anymore anyway. If you become dominant, then at that point you won't really need my help that much." She pointed out to him, seeing how he had gotten the idea that she might change sides but she had no plans to. At the point where darkness became too strong she would do what many of the light istari did when light became too strong and simply disappear into the background. That is what her kind did naturally. She would just be working on the other side.

Ren did not move from his position but stared at the hole, standing at the edge of it and refused to budge, having been offended by her words.

"You never stop becoming strong or playing an important part in my army if I get to have one." He pointed out, now turning around to face her and stepped forward. "As everyone else with their own seconds, I will need the help of my mate always. I do not trust any other to lead my armies or plan tactics. Your role is fixed from the moment you accepted my offer and willingly became my mate. There is no such thing as pulling back." He hissed, stepping forward closer to her. "You always press forward, as the light is sneaky bastard that always finds a way around. I know the White... He will prove to be too much a hassle to not watch him." He finally stopped in front of her, pausing and uncrossing his arms, staring at her with his invisible eyes. "Balance is nothing. We need to cause havoc and put an end to the light's reign in that world... Because this one is theirs... Now the next is ours..."

The orange wizard looked back at him as if he had eyes to look at.

"If I am so important... then prove it and stop treating me like I'm still a 'dwarf'." She demanded with her hands on her hips. "You still try to treat me like I'm some little kid. Like I don't know any better. I grew up in the time I wasn't around you. I had no choice. I can think for myself now but that doesn't mean I'm not going to be loyal... I honestly am not sure what will happen in the future or how I will think once we get to the new world but I know that I'm not working for anyone besides you. That includes Sauron. I have no interest in the Dark Lord or the light. I make my own choices and that choice was and is to be with you." She told him, standing in front of the Nazgul firmly, her hands now formed into fists and she was panting. Her green gaze was desperately searching for his within his black as night hood but found none.

If the Nazgul knew that snorting now would be rather appropriate, he would do it but because he didn't know that he simply kept staring, not at all taking her word the way she wanted him to. The memory of their past few months together was still very fresh in his mind, the distrust and uncertainty proving his own point in his point of view.

"No... You need to prove me that you mean what you said. Because your words from before proved me otherwise... " He hissed. "On the side of the balance? Pulling back when the darkness got the upper hand? It doesn't exactly speak of loyalty to me. It speaks of uncertainty..." He pointed out, stepping back, looking her over once as if mocking her build. "Grow up then... and choose your side. Light or dark... There is no middle ground or balance when it comes to war..." He had enough. He wanted her to finally decide what she wanted. He wanted to know if he truly can trust her, if she was truly on his side no matter what. Because what she said does not match his own goals and as his mate, hers should... If they don't... well... Then there is not much more to talk about... She either supports him fully, disregarding balance of any sort or will go against him, wanting her precious balance, pulling back when he needed her most to keep his status.

Hyano thought over his words for a moment, then looked back over the edge of the mountain. She thought it over.

"When I go to the new world I will speak with my friends and Gandalf... Once I have started on your side that will likely be the last chance I get to speak to them." She replied, then sighed and ran a hand through messy brown hair. Why did he always have to make things more complicated? When she finally thought she had everything figured out he always had some way of throwing a new twist in her life. It was annoying to say the least but one gets used to these things she guessed.

"So then which side do you choose? Light or dark?" The wraith asked, not budging from his position but stared at her instead, closely at that. Of course, Ren had a reason to do all this. Two exactly. One being that he cannot just trust anyone. After the miserable defeat of the darkness in this world... after losing so much... his brothers... his Lord... He cannot have any uncertainty in his own reign. Once he arrives in the new world he can consider himself the new Dark Lord, the source of darkness there. The one whose name will be spoken many times. Although, he wasn't used to it, he surely will get the hang of it. The second reason for pressing on was that he wanted her to say it. Say it out loud... Hear her own voice utter her choice to she realizes it completely. Hearing one's voice when making a decision has far more impact than thinking it. He knew that... and wanted to use it.

Hyano gripped her fists, then turned towards him, her green gaze meeting his invisible one with determination.

"I am on 'your' side. Whatever that might be." She told him. "So in this case... Yes. I am on the side of darkness." She added. It felt both... disgusting and relieving to say this, though, she was not fully sure why. Maybe because she always knew this but never really wanted to admit it to herself or anyone for that matter. It was hard to admit one was against everything that used to make them who they were, however she knew in a way it was true.

As soon as she said it, the wraith stopped pressing further. His dark aura pulled back and his body relaxed, pulling back slightly and stepped back once to give her room. She finally chose. And -in his selfish and cursed mind- she chose right.

"Good." He replied, nodding his hooded head, his invisible gaze moving from her now and turned around, wandering back to where he sat. He wanted this reassurance from the start, he realized. His stress was partly gone and now that he knew he had at least one support, he was ready to move on to the next world and attempt what his Lord failed at. He will have an advantage, though... No one knew he even existed... And he will hopefully arrive before any truly modern mortal or immortal armies can be built. However, he was sure that the White will sense the dark magic spreading... But that will be too late. Hissing, the wraith decided to not rush and simply sat down cross-legged, intending to actually continue meditating. Let her think about what she said and decided on her own, because living tend to over-complicate things after deciding...

He was right. The wizard was over-thinking this. It was a problem with being both an istar and a mortal technically. Her mind would just have to process this slowly. She sighed, then sat down behind him with her back to his.

"Son of a warg." She grumbled, using a phrase she hadn't really used in a long time since it had been quite some time since wargs had even existed, let alone been talked about. Though, as she sat with the wraith it was easy to get back into old habits such as saying such things again.

Her muttering went somewhat unheard, so completely unanswered as the wraith simply sat as well, feeling as her back was pressed against his, this way keeping balance. He was used to this phrase; despite it being so long ago she uttered this, to him after all the five thousand years went on very quickly while he was nothing more but a statue. It was like... His mind suddenly forced meditation on him... then the next thing he knew she was in front of him, saying his name... This is why he remembered things more clearly than her, not only because of the spell that broke not long ago. This is also why he remembered what she surely deep down wanted to do. Ren took a deep breath and hissed, with one swift motion he turned around while still sitting and simply grasped her, pulling her into his lap. Her favorite spot as he could remember and even stuck to it when she was still under the effects of the spell, showing what a habit it was. She very frequently sought comfort and silent support and seeing she now reassured him of her support, it was time he did the same too. It was a trade. They relied on one another from now on.

Hyano was completely caught off guard. She was pulled into his lap and for a moment she didn't know what to do, however the feeling of a calm relief that covered her was more than enough to relax her and before she knew what happened, tears streamed down her cheeks as she curled into his lap. She laughed lightly, feeling like a weak idiot for crying so easily but it wasn't like a usual cry. It was like when someone is finally relieving that last bit of pain which finally lets them feel peace they hadn't in so long. In all the years Ren had been away she had been alone... feeling this fear and pain and not knowing why. It had been horrible even in the best times. She had in a way become bitter because of it but now she was finally released... and it felt so good. She smiled a bit, then tilted her head up to look up into his hood.

"I missed you."

Now... After all these years... he wasn't sure what to do when she started to emit that salty liquid the mortals call tears. The many years Ren spent by her side he started to understand that these tears appear only at sadness or if she hurt herself. But somehow -like right now- she always manages to throw his theory out the window by starting to cry at the most unbelievable situations. Now he was suspecting that crying not only happens when sad or hurt... but also randomly or in mysterious time patterns only mortals can predict... So, all he could do was tilt his head to the side as she spoke and reached out to catch a tear which slid down her cheek, the drop stopping on his metal gauntlet, which he then balanced to keep it there, watching the clear drop as it shook slightly yet kept in the same place.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, wanting to make sure... If she was hurt -as his second- he will have to do something about it. Well, if he can. Crying is distracting. The sound was uncomfortable and the scent of the salt itself was strange.

The wizard's smile grew at the question before she shook her head.

"I was. For a very long time. But I am better now. Now that everything is right again." She replied, then looked at the tear on his gauntlet. "Sometimes mortals express heavy emotions to relieve themselves of pain they had for a long time. Anger, screaming, laughing, crying. In this case... I cried because I was relieving a pain I had... being lonely and feeling like I was forgotten but not knowing why. The pain is gone now... I feel much better." She explained to him, putting things in terms she thought he could at least try to understand. He never could fully and she knew that but he could try.

"Mortals are so strange..." The Nazgul said his expected trademark sentence when she tried explaining something to him that only living did or if it had anything to do with emotions. He didn't understand everything but from his point of view it seemed like she simply felt their connection but forgot about him because of the spell and despite all this deep down she wanted to be by his side. And finally, now that she remembers it, it simply overloaded. At least in his mind... He couldn't connect any other emotion since he lacked them and this was one thing that is strongly embedded even into his mind. "Let us rest... We have a long way, I presume." He hissed and got more comfortable, slightly tightening his grip on her as if protective and simply decided to meditate a little more. Just to make sure he won't be knocked out from lack of energy once he lands at the bottom. He also suspected that the way towards the other world won't be so short either... nor without danger...

Hyano giggled as he gave his usual answer. No matter how she simplified the explanation, she could always count on him being a bit confused. There was no way around it. He could not fully grasp it even if he knew all the mechanics behind emotions. It wasn't possible. It was funny to watch him try, though. She nodded when he suggested sleep and smiled as he held her tighter before cuddling into him happily, almost feeling like a child again, although, there were some obvious differences now.

Before she knew it she was out cold, her body lying limp in his arms like it used to be when she slept so many years ago.

* * *

**Let us hope that their peace will last ._.**

**Well, we shall see in two weeks!**

_CA Productions_


	17. Meet Your Destiny

**Hyano: *Crying***

**Cub: *Crying***

**Avp: *Crying***

**Ren: *Stuffing cookies in his hood. Looks at the others and hisses.* What is wrong with you people?**

**Cub: It's all over!**

**Ren: What is?**

**Cub: The book! *Cries harder***

**Ren: Wait... it's over... FINALLY! I don't have to live with you mad people anymore! Mwahahaha!**

**Hyano: Also means no more of Cub's cookies! *sniffles***

**Ren: *Stops... falls to his knees and cries***

**Avp: *Sniffles* Enjoy the final show, everyone!**

_CA Productions_

* * *

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

* * *

Chapter 17 - Meet Your Destiny

Just three hours later, Ren was up, as awake as one can be as a creature like him.

He was already standing at the edge of the mountain but was not sliding down, just wanting to spot the best path he could take and hopefully end up not to be met with too many rocks and outcroppings. He moved from one side to the other, hissing slightly, crouching down sometimes while he observed. So far he spotted one path that might end in less energy loss... But he only saw a little part of it so who knows what awaits him lower down. Hissing, shaking his head, the Nazgul turned around and started walking towards the center of the mountain top where Hyano was still sleeping. His skill in setting her down without waking her up is improving with each practice.

Hyano slept like a rock as she usually did. When he started back towards her she finally began to wake up, stretching and yawning before sitting up, mumbling something about the bed being stiff before realizing just why that was. Oh well, her body would loosen up soon enough. She looked up finally to see the wraith and smiled up at him.

"You ready to go?" She asked him as she pushed herself up and started to dust herself off lightly.

Ren tilted his head to the side when she started talking about some kind of bed, only understanding little due to her saying it silently and not as clearly but shook his head, deciding he might ask later before nodding at her question and turned around, once more stopping at the edge of the mountain and looked down at the rather steep side of it. He will end up falling at some point as it seemed, so he won't have the luxury of sliding down all the way.

"Make sure you don't kill yourself." He warned before stepping forward once, right to the edge, attempting to see better and try to locate the path he chose... But yet again... his amazing sense of balance helped him out and he managed to slip, in the end falling down, landing on his stomach at the side of the mountain, sliding down with high speed. Alright... this seems to be more comfortable than sliding on his back...

Hyano blinked, watching as he fell. If she didn't know he had no bones to break, just energy to lose, she might be worried, however instead she just wanted to laugh at the sight. Sometimes she wondered if he would ever take the time to try and train his balance or if he would just let it stay as horrible as it was. Oh well. She stepped back and took off running before jumping off of the side, then did a flip, swiping her hand through the air and used a spell to create a board made of rocks. She landed on the side of the mountain on it, letting the magic take the impact and from there on she slid down like one would a snow slope, though, the speed was much higher.

It didn't take long until he noticed Hyano was gaining on him now. Well, sliding with the help of magic is easier of course. After a while they started sliding side to side, nearing a far steeper section of the mountainside, causing Ren to prepare for the rather long fall which will happen very soon. He concentrated on the edge, his hooded head turned to the side to look where Hyano is or if she actually realized what is coming. He was about to say something when all of a sudden he vanished from next to her as the deep section came. But not because of the deep fall as the very loud thud gave away but because the mountain simply didn't like him and as soon as he looked back at the path, he noticed he was sliding towards a slim rock. He slammed into it, stopping his further descent abruptly.

Hyano heard the crash and looked back at him, cringing when she saw what he ran into but didn't have enough time to yell and ask if he was alright because out of nowhere the ground she was sliding on dropped out from under her. She cursed, having to come back to reality. She dissipated the board, knowing from here it was all skydiving with a hopefully smooth landing. She hoped Ren was doing alright... She knew he couldn't be hurt but with this lag it would likely take even more energy than it already was going to in the first place. He was not going to be happy about that.

The wraith hissed sharply and heavily, slowly lifting both hands to push away from the offending rock, shaking his hooded head before slowly standing up, looking down at his robe, noting how dirty it became from all the sliding. He quickly dusted it off with not much success and raised his gaze to the edge of the drop, attempting to calculate the depth of it. Not having the patience for it in the end, the Nazgul hissed and simply started running towards the edge and jumped, knowing he will simply fall but wondered how long it would take until he will crash into the side of the mountain again and continue sliding. He didn't even attempt to slow his fall but pulled his hands to his body, his cloak flapping around him madly before landing with an enormous thud and continued sliding along the mountainside until he saw the very end of it. To say the least, he was relieved this will be over. The more he crashed against the mountain, the more energy he lost, however, thanks to his luck and the most time spent with sliding instead of falling and rolling, he might not need meditation.

But... as usual... his luck had to run out at one point.

The Ringwraith hissed when he noticed just where his path takes him... He didn't even have time to prepare for it but eventually he arrived at the slide-formed rock, sliding upwards from there on, until the rock vanished from under him, sending him flying towards the forest which stretched around the bottom of the mountain. The only indication to his landing was the sound of it and the flock of birds swooping when they took off in fright.

Hyano used a wind tunnel like an airbag to break her fall before landing a little heavily on her feet. It wasn't one of her best landings but considering the situation it was better than nothing. At that same moment she was treated to the sight of Ren's form flying overhead towards the forest. She blinked a few times, surprised he didn't lose any of his belongings in all that ruckus he went through, however it was fun and worrying to watch all the same. She shook her head, then took off running in the direction he was practically tossed by the mountain.

"Ren! Ren!" She called out for him, hoping he would hear and have the energy to either respond or at least move a little.

It wasn't hard to find where the Nazgul landed. Because of his dark aura and the fear it inflicted in the hearts of the animals that fled from him in fright, all scattering into different directions but coming from the same spot. The 'landing field' of the wraith was also rather visible because of the broken tree branches, the dust, the disrupted ground and the very loud curses coming from Ren in Black Speech. Slowly, the Nazgul sat up, shaking his head, trying to get rid of the earth and the dust that managed to get its way into his hood before standing while swaying on his feet slightly. So much for not needing any meditation... Thanks to this unexpected flight he lost much energy by the landing. He heard her shouting his name faintly at first, too engulfed in his own thoughts and words before looking up and answering to her call with a shriek, adjusting his cloak and dusting it off. He didn't care about much of the dirt on it. It will fall down with time.

Hyano actually saw the cursing Nazgul before he called back to her. He wasn't hard to miss considering his current situation but was hilarious as always to watch all the same, though. Luckily it seemed he was holding a slight level of calm. Under other circumstances he might make it a short-lived goal to destroy that tree and everything that made it what it was just out of frustration. Hyano giggled lightly, then ran up to him and carefully plucked a stray twig out of his hood.

"You know you are going to have to meditate for at least an hour after that, right?" She pointed out, not thinking it was wise to even try going anywhere right now. If they started getting chased and Ren ran out of energy they would be in trouble.

The wraith hissed and kicked the tree once when she spoke, knowing she was right, however this one motion cost him much. As soon as he was done he lost more energy and his legs gave out, ending up landing on his behind on the ground with a thud and hiss, his shoulders slumped and his hooded head traveled to the dirt under him.

"I know..." He trailed off annoyed, whispering, taking a deep breath to attempt to calm his slightly frustrated nerves before proceeding to meditate right at that spot. He wanted to be done with this, get enough energy to keep moving until they arrive to the place... Which made him wonder where they are going exactly... For now, getting rid of these thoughts, he decided to just rest.

Hyano smiled lightly as she saw him go down. He wasn't admitting defeat, at least he would never say so. She walked up behind him, then pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and started writing in an elven language she hadn't used in years. Time to let them know they were on their way. She wrote the note, then set the note on fire, sending it through magic. Such an old way of sending mail. Hopefully it still works.

* * *

It was around fifteen hours later when they arrived at their destination, thanks to some generous people who offered a ride for a while.

Finally, they were able to gaze upon the great shores of the sea that was once called Belegaer.

The shores where man seemed to either be discouraged from going to or just had no interest in it. The waters still sparkled like the olden days, though, the dock did show the reality of age. Cracked and old but it could hold their weight for now. This specific dock has seen a lot of great people sailing away from Middle-Earth, either to the Undying Lands or the new world that awaited them this time. Its greatness however was long lost, as was most of its magic but it held strong and true to its past name.

The elven city, Grey Havens was no longer standing, however. Its walls were ruined, its cities overgrown with plant-life. There were no elves to take care of it for thousands of years and the loss of magic caused it to lose its special aura. Man made no true discoveries here, though. Luckily, they felt a great fear when treading too close. Many vehicles, along with planes were forced to avoid this specific location due to the high number of accidents.

Hyano smiled as she laid eyes upon the gently dancing waves and the old wooden dock.

"Honestly, I wasn't sure if I would ever come back to this place." She admitted, remembering when she stood at this very spot and waved tirelessly for the White Wizard as he disappeared within the thick fog that engulfed the distance. She spent hours there after that, already having felt lonely and sad, missing the istar, her only companion at that time. Yet here she is now... Preparing to follow him.

The Nazgul stopped next to her when she did and looked around, his hooded head moving, turning slowly to observe their surroundings. There wasn't much to look at and not much to respect... A dock. A simple old dock which will collapse at any moment now. He hissed and slowly stepped forward, only halting his approach briefly when the feeling of that magic touched his invisible skin. He hissed at it at first before falling silent, the power itself kind of calming him, his body began to suckle in the energy somewhat, trying to gain more thanks to Hyano's part in this he was able to convert it using her magic. The wraith approached the water and looked down, tilting his head to the side at the strange lights that were emitted from it, giving the water a light blue glow. A strange place indeed.

"And... how do we reach the new world?" He asked, turning around to look at her with curiosity.

Hyano thought on his question for a moment before sighing and turning towards him.

"Likely the same way Gandalf went. By boat... but you aren't going to like how you are going to have to cross." She said honestly, rubbing the back of her head. "If I'm right there should be an elven boat here within the hour... By that time... you are going to have to be a statue again or they aren't going to let you cross." She explained to him. She knew already he wasn't going to like this. If nothing else, his wraith pride would be an issue but unless he was willing to change his appearance -and she knew this will not change his aura however- they didn't have any other choice.

"What do you mean?" The Nazgul asked, turning his hooded head towards her as he stopped at the edge of the dock, tilting his head to the side as she explained the difficulties. "Why do I need to be a statue? Is there an elf coming? If yes, just kill him and off we are..." He suggested, thinking his idea was fine and quite neat, not even thinking of it further before turning back towards the water, leaning over to look at his own reflection. Of course, everyone would only see an empty hood but as a wraith that already walks the world of the Unseen, he was able to see his own face. "As an istar, you surely know the way..." He assumed, looking up and at her, then hissed in shock when he lost his balance and started swaying back and forth but managed to prevent any fall into the water by stepping back once.

"No. The new world is unknown to me. That is why it is called 'new.'" The wizard replied simply. "If we arrive on the docks without the elf we will be very likely to be shot on sight. It is better to not draw attention for as long as possible if we can. We have no idea what we are getting into. For all we know Gandalf has spellbound the new world so only certain people can get in. If so, we are going to need the elf." She added honestly.

Ren hissed, lifting a hand to stroke his 'chin', walking along the wooden dock and stopped at the end of it.

"Even if I am a statue... What will you tell them what it is? Won't it be obvious that it is a wraith from the faint magical aura? The shape will be enough to give them the idea..." He pointed out, turning around on his heels to face her. "But even if the shape isn't to be recognized... What will you tell them, why did you drag a statue that doesn't make sense with you all the way there?" He asked, shaking his head, walking up to her now, the old wood creaking under him. "And won't I become a wraith again once I am touched by the magic of the new world? How do I even become a statue now?" He didn't seem to have any questions about trusting her or making up plots, from what he said it was clear that trust was a problem despite the change in Moria and he was uncertain about what she does with him as a statue. Neither was he sure about their arrival and the reaction to it.

"Oh, they will know. Istari are horrible liars. So, I'm not going to. I'm just not going to tell them the whole truth. As for how I'm going to do this... well... you can't take in magic if I'm not nearby. So... I'm going to suck out the magic from you until you turn to stone, then allow the elves to get you from point A to point B. If all goes right, once the coast is clear I can bring you back without any problems." She replied, waiting to see how he would feel about this plan.

Ren stopped in front of her, staring at her from his position and tilted his head to the side now not out of curiosity but out of confusion.

"The elf is going to ask... What will you tell him? He will feel the dark magic... What if he refuses to take me? And what about the other side of the sea? The White surely will be there. He is going to ask too... What is the guarantee that they won't just crush the statue, so me?" He asked, wanting to know what she planned for all this. Improvising in this case can be fatal for him as he won't be able to defend himself at all. If things go wrong, she is on her own with a stone statue... IF the elf even brings him over, which he doubted. What if it refuses?

Hyano thought about this for a moment before looking at the water, watching as the gentle waves danced in the sunlight.

"Honestly, I am not sure. I have a few ideas but it depends on the elf, really. Not every explanation I give will work on every elf, however unless you plan on changing your looks for a short time we really have no other choice. The elves won't take you as you are for sure and killing them isn't an option. Not yet anyway. I will likely tell them you are a dark creature that I didn't want to leave behind for the humans. Which in a way would be correct. Even before I had planned to bring you along with me because when the humans get a hold of anything with power, they cause nothing but disaster." She explained to him, looking into his hood.

So, she would in a way turn him in. On the shore they will probably take him and destroy him before she has a chance to prevent it. At least this is what Ren's mind decided to come up with.

"That could end very badly... I assume you know that." He stated, making sure she knew the consequences it might have. He won't be able to defend himself or work together with her on this. He will have to put all his trust into her, hope that the elf doesn't decide to leave him there and that the people waiting for them on the other side will not destroy him on sight. However, according to all that she said and did in the past weeks... He had trouble with the trust part. "I am proud of what I am. They truly shall know to fear me... I will not change anything on my looks just to sneak by like a coward." While he was of course cautious, he won't let them reduce him to that... He had his pride, which was stronger than any worry he had. Worry, that he lacked.

"If they kill you... I won't be far behind. I can't live without a flow of magic and without you that flow will die instantly. Even in the new world... I will be as good as dead, so I have just as much to lose if I mess this up." The istar replied honestly. If they killed him she would die soon after. If she waited too long to bring him back it wouldn't matter. They would both die anyway. "It's a huge risk... but I'm coming up short on any other plans right now and we don't really have much time." She added, hoping he might have an idea.

"My plans involve killing... Which you don't want and according to what you said, it isn't the best to do." Ren pointed out, turning around to walk towards the dock again, gazing at the sparkling water, feeling the last sources of magic around him. It felt a little unnerving since it wasn't his type of magic... but it was magic nonetheless. "Alright then. I guess it is settled." He said and turned, looking at her. This might be the last time they work as a team and the last time he can have the hope for dominating the new world. He might never wake up from this and so the last traces of his Lord would be destroyed; now fully giving reign to the light where darkness doesn't exist... But there seemed to be no other way. If he wanted what he desired... he will need to push his own boundaries.

Hyano looked at him for a moment, then reached out and took his hand.

"Hey. Don't think negatively. You're too much of a cocky, stubborn, pain in the neck for that. Right?" She said, trying to encourage him a little bit. She knew the risks of this and figured he was worried but she thought she couldn't put him out like this. Wraiths didn't technically worry, mostly because they didn't feel but she had learned that they did have a knack for going to the dark options when given the chance, mainly because they were hardwired to think ahead. Think for the worst out come and compensate for it if possible. This is what made his kind so successful.

The wraith let her take his hand and couldn't help but hiss at her claim, shaking his head, returning her gesture by grasping her hand as well in return but not because he wished to return her affection but because of the determination he felt, which he actually could feel. He will not let mere istari and elves back him away from his goal.

"I will be a greater pain in the new world. Now they think they are safe... But soon there will be a new Lord rising..." He trailed off, his hooded head turning towards the water, towards the endless horizon, staring at it before slowly turning it back and looked at her. There was no other way and they will have to risk it if he wanted to finish what his Dark Lord started... After a short silence, Ren nodded at her, ready to go through with this. They don't have much time... So they better hurry.

Hyano nodded, then stepped in front of him, watching him as if taking in his appearance for the last time in her life. Maybe this will be it... Maybe he was right and Gandalf won't even want to think about having him in the new world and won't even let her explain... In that case this will be the end. She let her mind wander a bit, sorting through their memories together, remembering the mischief they caused and she played on him... Their time in Moria... Which brought up something she was always curious about and wanted to try... Something subtle but... meaningful. So she looked up at him and smirked.

"Do you mind... giving me a kiss before you go?" She asked, assuming if this was their last stand together she might never get another chance to ask for this. She kind of doubted he would even say yes and she wouldn't be bothered by it too much but it was worth a shot all the same.

Well... the wraith didn't expect this request from her. Quite... unusual to say the least... She never asked for this but then again there is no true reason why to ask for it.

"A kiss?" He inquired, unsure what she meant by the word. He never heard of it, let alone did it before. At least of what he was able to remember from his life and cursed existence. It was foreign and as with everything that was foreign, he asked of it curiously, wanting to know what it was.

Hyano giggled lightly. She should have known he wouldn't know what that was.

"This." She said, then kissed his hand lightly so he could see and in a way feel what she was talking about. She knew he didn't like having his face touched so made a point of not to do this too suddenly. "Normally this is done with two people meeting their lips together." She added, figuring she might as well explain it a little better for him.

The wraith shook his head rapidly and looked at her taken aback, wordlessly staring at her before actually speaking up.

"Why would mortals do that? Doesn't look useful to me..." He wondered, confused why they would engage in such an activity when -knowing mortals in general and in what dirt they live- they carry sicknesses and germs, which can easily infect the other... In addition, he saw no use of it... He wouldn't gain anything from that... Or would he? Or is this another confusing mortal emotional stuff which he won't understand?

Hyano rubbed the back of her head.

"It is something mortal mates do. It shows affection in a way. It also... um... does other things but that hardly matters in your case so don't worry about it." She said, not wanting to go back to 'that' conversation again. The subject of mortal connections was always a hard one with the wraith because no matter how she tried he could never fully grasp it. He was just not built that way.

Yes, emotional stuff he won't understand, so he better doesn't even push himself to try and understand it or ask for explanations. However there was something... Ren couldn't help but...

"What other things?" He asked, tilting his head to the other side, his tone showing his curiosity. It must be something she would be annoyed with explaining... At least how she hesitated was a good sign for that. And of course... Having lacked the opportunity to pay back many of his suffering, the arguments and not having had the chance to play a prank he might as well annoy her with questions he knew she didn't want to answer.

The woman groaned, using her free hand to rub her temple. He was such an annoyance and he knew it too which made it all that much worse.

"It is used to... create emotional and physical responses that make mortals want to... mate with each other... Sex." She clarified for him, blushing as she had to talk about this subject. She knew better than to fight it. Ren had proved he was too stubborn to be avoided plenty of times by this point. It wasn't worth the headache.

This was... interesting. Confusing and made no sense but interesting... Well, interesting because she seems to be embarrassed by having to answer it, so the Ringwraith made sure to show even more curiosity towards the subject, hissing.

"And... how does a simple touch of the lips do all this? Emotional and physical responses?" He asked, stepping closer, inwardly feeling satisfied that he is having his little revenge for all the trouble.

Hyano's eye twitched. He was very much doing this on purpose, she knew it. He knew it. Anyone who listened in on them probably could figure it out. This was just frustrating; however she kept going with it. Guess, she was just in for a punishment.

"Chemical response..." She replied. "The kiss creates a chemical response in the brain... Head... That affects the rest of the body." She added as calmly as she possibly could.

"This doesn't make sense..." Well, to him it didn't. For one, he was a wraith who didn't understand emotions and secondly... he didn't live through the ages as Hyano did, so did not understand what this... talk is about chemicals. Well, chemicals within the body. "Lips are also used for eating... yet they don't cause any such behavior..."

"Actually it does. Food has taste. If it tastes good it creates a good feeling. If it tastes bad it creates bad feelings. This is kind of an instinct that helps warn the body about foods that might be bad for you. Like poisons and such." The wizard corrected him. She was not about to explain to him how some mortals use food along with their... mating rituals. That was opening up a whole new can of warms that would not be worth the trouble.

"But the feeling of a good food... surely does not match the need to mate. Or are mortals so easily willing?" Ren asked, even more confused than he was before. The way she explained it seems like simply eating can be used the same way as a kiss... And he still wasn't sure how a kiss even works and why it is still useful... Sometimes he wondered why he is even trying to understand such things but he assumed it simply gave him something to do and occupy himself with.

"Well some foods are made to do that. Way back man used to ask wizards for love potions all the time. Few were ever given out but since they are taking them like a drink, I guess you could say human are affected by such things." Hyano replied, calming down a little. The conversation was a little less embarrassing at the moment thankfully. She could far more easily handle this than anything else she had been given so far.

"That is... not what I was talking about. Potions, just like poison don't affect the mortals through the lips..." The Nazgul tried shoving the topic back to where they were. She went rather far from their subject. Ren knew as much that potions don't spread their effect through the lips but from somewhere deeper. The stomach, he guessed. "But it doesn't matter... Let us move on with this... plan of yours. If what you said is true... the elf will be here soon." He reminded her of their task at hand. He still needed to become a statue, somehow reach the new world, then wake up before he is destroyed. He was sure the process will take longer than what time they might have right now if they keep talking about this subject.

Hyano sighed, feeling a little disappointed, assuming that was his way of saying 'no'.

"Alright then." She said, then reached out a hand, ready to start. She wasn't sure how this would affect him. Part of her wondered if this would cause him any pain, he was all magic after all. It may not cause him pain like the mortal kind of pain but it was technically magic that keeps him together, so there could still be a chance of something similar at least.

The wraith didn't notice any of this though, instead stopped a little distance away from her, knowing she surely didn't want to stand all too close for the process. He himself however had an idea how it is going to feel like... To have his energy completely sucked out. He went through this once about five thousand years ago... This was the second time he felt 'tired'. The feeling was so unusual. Everything was a blur for a long time until simply everything went black. However both times he lost energy naturally... This time he will lose his magic because it will be taken from him forcefully and suddenly... so there might be some difference. The Nazgul turned around to face her, his head held high, showing her his determination, this way trying to boost her confidence about this, seeing he showed no concern or uncertainty about this. Instead he faced it all head-on.

Hyano smiled a little. Seeing this was enough to calm her nerves, then held out her hands.

"Better make a scary pose. Might as well give the elves something to look out for while you're out." She tried to joke before flicking her hands and whispered a spell. Magical strings appeared, attaching the wraith to her finger tips and like a straw they started sucking the magical energy out of the wraith. This would do two things. Put Ren out for a while and give Hyano the energy she needed to last until they reached the new world. She hoped that would be enough.

Ren hissed at her words, shaking his head.

"I don't need a pose to be terrifying. They look at me and fear will strike them, no matter what." He said confidently, so ended up having no scary pose but even his stance was speaking of the potential power that was hidden within him. The moment the strings joined between Hyano and the wraith, he hissed and shifted in his stance, his hooded head turning to look at his body, which seemed to protest against what he is doing willingly. It was uncomfortable and the familiar feeling of energy loss hit him, causing him to step back and sway on his feet. "See you..." Was all he said before his body went rigid and slowly but surely it hardened, lost its dark color and completely turned to stone.

Lifeless, unmoving and helpless.

Vulnerable which Ren hated to be...

* * *

Just as the transformation stopped, the faint outline of something coming from the direction of the sea became visible. The sound of a paddle splashing started to become clearer, the shadow started to take form, revealing a boat, a single person controlling it, standing on it.

The closer he came, the more features were visible. The man was an elf, a tall ellon, whose long blond, almost silver hair was blown by the wind that raced across the sea, sometimes getting in front of his blue eyes. He wore leather elven armor to not hinder his movements as he tirelessly directed his boat towards the docks, where he stopped, huffing and panting, his gaze moving to Hyano. It took him a moment to recognize the wizard due to her unusual clothing but eventually a smile appeared on his lips. He didn't yet know her, having been born on the new world but he heard a ot about her from those who were familiar with the mischievous istar.

"Greetings... You must be Hyano." He started with a smooth and melodious voice that all elves shared, inclining his head in respect before stepping to the side out of the boat, stopping it completely by steadying it against the docks with his foot.

Hyano flicked her hands the strings breaking and disappearing into thin air before turning and looking at the elf. She honestly expected someone she might have known but smiled and nodded nonetheless.

"Yes. It is a pleasure to meet you. I see elves haven't changed much through the generations." She said, a little pleased with this. At least some things haven't changed. "Do you mind helping me with this?" She requested, pointing towards the form of the wraith beside her, wanting to get this over with as fast as possible. They did not have the time for casual talk at the moment. her time was ticking. "I am not really that strong, so getting it into the boat myself is a bit of a problem." She admitted, rubbing the back of her head, with her free hand resting in her hoodie pocket. She wondered for a moment if anything had improved in the same ways it had here. Or had things restarted? If so, then things would likely be as primitive as they had been in the world they left behind. That would be a little... disappointing to say the least.

The elf at first didn't answer but stepped out of the boat, grimacing slightly as he visibly gave a shiver, hugging his form briefly as if he was cold, his eyes wandering his surroundings almost in between awe and fear. He clearly was uncomfortable in this place.

"There is barely any magic left..." He murmured almost inaudibly. The elf heard from his ancestors how this world was when they lived here, how magic engulfed it, made the sky far more blue, the leaves green and painted them yellow by fall. How the flowers sang and the happy chatting of the birds flew with the wind across the green forests... But now... It was all silence. The trees almost looked dull, the grass yellow, he couldn't spot any flowers and the forest was void of the talk of the birds. Instead they just chirped... He couldn't understand them any longer here... Everything seemed almost... scary to the elf, so he stepped back only slightly before he heard her speak. He shook his head, attempting to snap out of his thoughts before directing his gaze towards her, giving her a quick smile again, suddenly giving more attention to her... rather unusual way of clothing. While he did frown, he did not question it. Knowing what the others said, the world here is different so they surely have also different ways of wearing attire. "Huh?" He asked, tilting his head a little as he wasn't exactly sure what she meant, until he followed the direction where she was gesturing, just now noticing the statue. Instantly he frowned and stepped back, the sensation of the faint dark aura hitting the elf like a sudden chilling wind in a calm summer day. "What... What is this? Where did you get it from?" He asked rather demandingly, unsure what to think. All that he knew was that this... thing... isn't exactly as comfortable to be around... It looked and felt dark... evil.

"This. Is the last of the wraiths. It has been here for a very long time. As the magic in this world disappeared it was reduced to stone. Do not worry. It won't harm you. However I can't leave it here in the hands of man... Who knows what they might do with it." She replied watching the elf and his reactions. Even if Ren was to crack out of his current stone prison he would not harm the elf. Not yet anyway so she was not worried. "The power that these creatures used to posses still exists in his body. If this world becomes lost I would rather it not be because of something I could have prevented. So will you help me?" She requested curiously. It had been so long since she last saw an elf. She almost forgot how young ones acted. It was no surprise he reacted in such a way to the lack of magic. He had no idea just what he was getting into when he was given this job. No amount of preparation was enough to prepare him for a world without what could best be called life to the elves. Hopefully, he would never have to go through this again.

The elf listened carefully to what she said, his eyes flickering from her to the statue and back every once in a while, also they widened at the mention of a wraith. A wraith? A dark creature? He heard many tales of darkness, the wars it caused, the destruction... the massacre... The suffering and dark days when his ancestors didn't know if they will live another day. Sauron, the Dark Lord and his nine henchmen who were once proud kings. So easy corrupted and bowed to the will of the dark Maia. What did the world come to?

"So this is..." He trailed off, lifting a hand to point at Ren, slightly unsure yet. "This is one of the Nine...? Right?" He asked, opening his mouth again to speak, but closed it again, thinking it all over. What she said was indeed right. They cannot leave it to the humans... They cannot let them awaken it and cause havoc, now that the world is without protection... They might get corrupted by its aura. However... He cannot exactly bring it to the new world either to possibly corrupt it... His leaders would punish him for it and he might endanger the lives of many. The world might be not the same as it was now. Pure and peaceful. "I propose we leave him here... If we bring him over, he will come back to life because of the magic there... He will either kill many before he can be destroyed or he will get away... And we are left with darkness once more plaguing us. However... now he is pretty helpless..." He trailed off, his gaze now fully on the Nazgul, his tone and words indicating to... something. To something, which can once and for all might solve their problem. "Vulnerable... Why don't we just... destroy it now? With it broken, it cannot go ahead and come right back. He will not endanger either world."

Hyano looked towards Ren's motionless form, then back at the boy. At least she considered him a boy. He didn't seem to be all too experienced or determined to be more than a few hundred.

"That would be an easy option but in my case I cannot. You see, I have a connection to this creature right now. He has already come to life once. I made the mistake of touching him and it seems that our magic is now connected. I was able to get him to allow me to turn him to stone. As long as I don't touch him he should remain that way. However, if we destroy him I will eventually die as well. I can't take in magic at all without him. So until I find a way to fix that I am afraid I can't let you do that. Not yet anyway." She replied calmly. The elf had a good heart. It was no surprise they sent him to do this. "I will take the blame for bringing him a long. Trust me when I say istari have done much worse than this." She added with a smile.

Well... This was not expected.

"How...?" He asked, wanting to continue the sentence but instead shook his head, closing his blue eyes. "Alright... I kind of suspect how..." He admitted, lifting a hand to run it through his long light colored hair in frustration and thought. With magic practically gone, the creatures either submit to this and change or try to grasp for the last bits of magic they are able to obtain. And because Hyano -as he was told- is mostly taking her energy from the sun, so does not need as much magic to keep herself alive and also she is rather young in physicals, so could stay here longer. As such she was the only one with a steady flow of magic... which the wraith subconsciously used. But it was still a mystery how they even can stay connected with such a difference and why the wraith wasn't destroyed upon sucking in the light magic... How can he even... convert it...? He was of course still young, so this is something for his elders to decide and explain. After a long and loud sigh, the elf eventually shrugged, finally nodding at the request of the istar. "Alright then..." The ellon trailed off, looking towards the stone statue, stepping closer once. "... Let's get this over with... But are you sure he won't come back to life while we are traveling or when we get closer to the magic...?" He asked, still uncertain but walked closer to it and reached out to touch it with a finger, poking the hood of the unmoving Nazgul. "This is strange..."

She found him rather amusing. His curious yet suspicious nature. It spoke of someone very young and inexperienced.

"Yes. I am sure. He is under the same constraint I am. Unless we are in contact he cannot tap into the magic no matter how much there is." She replied calmly. "Though, I am not sure if he can hear you or not so I would not try to insult him in case he does get out." She said deciding to tease the elf a little bit. She couldn't help it. He left himself wide open for a little teasing.

"Oh..." the elf quickly lifted his finger away from the Nazgul before stepping back and looking him over. He was shorter than him, it was of course clear but this didn't mean he was lighter. He then proceeded going around him once, trying to see where he could grasp him the best, before deciding on a good enough grip. With a huff he lifted the statue slightly but very soon he also put it down, stepping back, shaking his arms a little. "Alright... he is rather heavy... I am afraid I will break something off..." He commented before trying a new grip and lifted the statue slightly, inching back towards the dock as fast as he could. It took him a while, more than half an hour actually but he got it into the boat, comfortably laying in the middle where hopefully they won't need to stand. IF there is not a storm. "I hope he won't end up sinking the boat with this weight..." He chuckled, adjusting it a little in the boat before standing, stroking his arms sometimes to relieve them from the hard work. He was an elf. And elves aren't all that strong physically. "So... Try to sit so you don't end up touching him..."

Hyano raised a brow more than a little amused by the whole show. As long as it was... it was quite hilarious. Saddest part was she could imagine that Ren wasn't much heavier than he normally was. How someone who had no actual body could be as heavy as he was still boggled her mind most days. When the worn-out elf got her attention and gestured for her to take a seat she nodded stepping onto the boat and crossing her legs.

"Easy enough. I'm rather small, so keeping myself from touching this wraith won't be hard." She replied with a calm smile.

Nodding, the elf stepped towards the back of the boat, minding the statue in the middle before untying the boat from the dock for the last time before grasping the paddle and used it to back away slowly from the shore, turn the boat and start their journey back towards the new world that awaited them. People are already waiting for this wizard.

The destination was set, the winds and water streams were right...

Time to go home.

Hyano leaned back in the boat, closing her eyes. As they moved farther from the docs she felt a slight weight being lifted from her shoulders. Technically that weight wasn't a weight at all. It was a lack of magic that made her body feel weak. Even though she could not tap into the magic the change was welcomed all the same. She looked at the elf and smiled a little.

"So, you know my name. What is yours?" She asked, thinking she might as well make some small talk with the young elf. It couldn't hurt anyway, right?

The elf turned his gaze from the horizon back to her, smiling once again, pushing the boat with the paddle forward.

"My name is Fieven. Son of Hyril, one of the elves hailing from Lothlorien." He replied with a respectful nod, introducing himself and his family with pride. It was clear he respected his mother and found pride in what he was and where his bloodline came from. For many elves who were born in the new world the tales about Middle-Earth were rather exciting and maybe scary but surely full with glorious victories, many great elves becoming legends there. "Many elves told me that you will be rather young, at least looking much younger than the other wizards but... I must say your physical age is surprising. You don't even look more than twenty five... And yet you are way over ten thousand years old... How do you do that?" He asked, his attention jumping between keeping the boat moving and speaking with his passenger. Though, he was aware of the istari being able to change their physical age, he was told that Hyano was... special in this matter. She seemed to have little control over this.

Hyano giggled lightly at both his pride and his question. She wondered if the elf knew about how much of an annoyance the elves of old used to be he would be so prideful. Though, she guessed that was not as likely to have changed. They were probably as annoying as ever. She thought about his question before smiling a little.

"Among other reasons the main one is that the istari do not have to age at all. If Gandalf wanted he could look as young as myself if not younger. If you were to challenge him to a fight he would move like a young man despite his visible age. I myself stayed looking like a child for a very long time. Then I grew to about this age and I have stayed that way ever since. Istari are similar to elves... Elves are dependent on magic... However if I was to judge anything... I would say the istari are more so. Those elves who did not go to the new world became almost... human. They lived full lives and then died. However if I had stayed much longer... well..." She pointed towards the statue. "That is a closer result to what would have happened to me." She added.

"Yes... magic has a rather large impact on those creatures who are dependent on it... Without it... we just... no more magical. Just... normal. I guess." He hummed, averting his gaze towards the clear water, feeling a few waves splash under the boat but it only rocked just a little in return. The sky was clear, so the elf didn't expect bigger waves coming. There is no storm brewing in their close vicinity. "Kind of sad actually... Well, we were explained that magic is... more something like a preparation for the true force which will rule the worlds. Magic needs backup and a great deal of effort from the Valar, however it also builds and develops people faster. But nature is the true ruling entity. As it can rebuild itself and needs no effort from the creators." He explained with a smile, nodding.

Suddenly, Hyano's green eyes widening when she remembered a small detail and felt a slight vibration from one of her pockets. The phone...

"Oh, by the way..." She started and grimaced a bit, hoping it wasn't too late to add this little detail. She completely forgot. "I hope you don't mind but we will be followed eventually." She said, remembering the tree herder family. She had almost forgotten them altogether in all the insanity.

Fieven frowned and blinked a few times in confusion before looking back at her with a questioning expression

"Followed?" H asked, raising an eyebrow, for a moment stopping the paddling and looked at her confused. He wasn't told there will be others... They said it will be just Hyano...

"Yes. The descendants of the tree herders who stayed behind. Only a few but these few wish to meet the creatures they came from. Learn who they once were." Hyano explained to the elf and turned her head so she can glance at the shore above her shoulder and took notice of the family she spoke of. She smiled when she saw they were prepared with their own boat while leaving their vehicle behind at the shore. They would follow but it would take them a bit to catch up at this point. "Will that be a problem?" The young-looking woman questioned curiously.

The elf blinked before he followed Hyano's gaze back towards the shore where some... darker looking humans started to board their own boat, quickly preparing to come after them. Though, he did see such darkly colored creatures in books and paintings, those were mostly from the harad tribes and orcs... These were... tree herders.

"Tree herders... How in the world would tree herders look like this? I mean... if a tree herder loses magic, he becomes a tree..." He asked, looking back once more, frowning slightly as his sharp blue eyes also caught a glimpse of the strange... thing on the shore. It looked foreign, maybe made of metal and had four wheels. He never saw such a thing and made sure to avert his gaze quickly. He was not supposed to get curious of anything from this magic-less world. He needed to concentrate on what is lying behind. "Well..." He trailed off, shrugging, for the sake of their company he slowed down just a little, letting them catch up but couldn't wait too long. "... You will have to speak with the White about this when we get there... Outer-Earth isn't so far if you have magic... so they will have to stick very close if they truly want to follow." He warned and switched the paddle to the other side of the boat, turning it slightly towards the left to keep the course.

Hyano nodded and noted his curious nature and also his worry about getting in trouble for being so. It was rather funny really.

"Relax. You won't get in trouble for your curiosity. It's healthy." She told him before standing up. "Come on or you will be left behind!" She called back at the group, putting her hands to her mouth to make sure they hear her shout. The group seemed to hear and did as told by paddling faster and stronger, making the wizard smile before taking her seat again. "They are what is left of the tree herders of old. Their ancestors made the choice to change their form and dependence on magic so that their future generations could continue to protect the trees here. That is why only a few are coming. The rest are staying to protect what is left of nature here." She explained to the elf. "As for Gandalf, I am sure he will be pleased to see them... He was rather worried they wouldn't make it very far so seeing them now might bring him some peace of mind after so long." She added, knowing that seeing the herders of the new world would relax her mind quite a bit as well. Her thoughts swiftly brought her the image of the young Iron Bark, making her wonder just what magnificent creature he must have become after so many years.

"This is quite interesting... It is kind of like how half elves get to choose if they want immortality or accept the gift of Man... Seems like the tree herders could choose too once." He tried making sense of it all, before looking back, noting where the human-tree herders were before finally speeding up a little. There was little time so they had to be fast. Such magic isn't so easy to maintain and both the elf and the istari are starting to tire. "It is so hard to choose, as you need to make sure that whichever you choose, you cannot regret it." He smiled and closed his eyes, raising his chin slightly as a little breeze blew over them faintly, carrying the faint scent of the new world, the unknown flowers, the song of strange birds and the magic that pulsated within it.

They are so close... yet so far...

"Oh... Indeed. With every choice there is always a down side. Immortality was given up by those who want to live mortal lives with those they love... However, in exchange they had to not only give up their naturally long lives but also their eternal beauty and their families. While if they chose to stay with their families and keep what they already had they had to also give up those they loved as well as the chance at a different life. Children. Experiences. There was regret in both choices. You can't help that. However, the worst thing you can do is not choose at all. Then you really have made a mistake." She replied to his statement before hearing whispers on the wind coming from behind her and smiled a little. It was the little one of the herder family, Lilly. She felt the change and was scared. While the elf had been afraid of a world without magic she was afraid of one with it. It was a natural reaction to change. Especially in one so young. They will need to get used to this new sensation but in a long run it might wake up the instincts and traits they lost so long ago to the lack of magic. This is a new start for them.

"This is why you need to make the choice, weighting your options." The elf added, nodding, at her, understanding her point to the fullest. "So you don't have to regret what you chose. Because people choose what they truly find important. If that is what the tree herders found important, then they never truly regret it." The elf then turned one more time towards the boat behind them, making sure they are close by and aren't falling behind.

The magic around them is clearly hard at work, bringing them closer to the other world each second. The time it got the boat to arrive from the new world was equal to the one in which they arrived at the shore as well. Of course the magic created a rather dense fog around the very edge of the world, which was actually a safety barrier against humans. They are not supposed to come here after all, and those who don't possess just a little magic cannot see this fog along with the new world. It blocked the sight of those on the boat along with the elf but he just followed the guide that was given to him, a path made of magic itself, created by the other elves to help him find the dock by instinct and feelings.

Just a few more minutes and the first parts of the shore came into view as faint as they were, heavily clouded by the magic which still was hard at work at creating and maintaining the bits of land of the clearly unfinished world. The shore was bright yellow from the sand as if made of gold, the plains that stretched far were green as emerald, easily radiating through the persistent fog for all to see. The distance proudly presented tall mountains that towered over the land like a firm guardian.

And the magic...

It flowed like silk, embracing all who entered, welcoming them like an old friend.

The wind brought melodies and voices from the land, full of the cheerful laughter of children, the busy talk of people, the song of harmony and spells. The birds sang their gentle tunes, the deep humming of trees sounded in the distance...

It was like Middle-Earth all over again. Maybe... even more beautiful. But if this world will share the fate of its predecessor...

Well...

That is up to the actions of the many but the choice of the few.

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

**Well. That's it, our dear Readers. We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed roleplaying it. All that you read was the result of a year of exchanging posts and we are truly happy to read the nice feedback. We think we made the right decision in sharing this story with the public. **

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